3 meters from the Chicken Run

[Richard]

Looks like the chickens have a / some friends. So looks like Badger Watch time !!
[center][/center]

Richard

[wendy]

I m more frightened of bagers than foxes, although I haven't any near me....I don't think. They can get through a lot more than foxes.
But I am sure you are prepared. They are such beautiful creatures aren't they ?
Wendy

[p.penn]

Funny you should post that Richard as I checked the 'ratacombs' today and I was musing that the entrance now looks big enough for a fox.

Either that or maybe the dog has been sticking her nose in, or the rats have grown to ginormous proportions.

[saint-spoon]

A friend hates the badgers eating all of his sweetcorn crop from his allotment (apparently they love it). never heard of a badger taking anything bigger than a worm or snail but they can barge through and leave it open for Mr Fox.

[p.penn]

Isn't it odd - although I live in the country and I know there are badgers all around, I had NEVER thought of them as predatory to my chooks.

An elderly lady I met on holiday once had them in her back garden - apparantly she went out for a potter in the garden and the ground gave way and she went 4ft down. She really hurt her leg but it makes you think, doesn't it?

So, are you going to do anything about them Richard?

[Richard]

Badgers are vegetarians. I've had Badgers, loads of them, in the woods about 50 meters away and they've never worried me or the chickens.

Just going to keep an eye on it. I'm not into ridding anything which has as much right to here as me and regret to say, the badgers around here are population watched by cars on the A28 100 meters away.

[roddelmae]

Wikepedia says that they have a very varied diet, (much like us really). It lists earthworms, insects, grubs, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds , roots and fruit.

[Richard]

Thanks Jen and Rod

[ma larkin]

I am very worried about badgers. My neighbour saw one in her garden a few times during the winter, so when I had to put the girls to bed in the dark I would stomp down the garden shouting loudly 'LA! LA! LA!' in the hope that if it was there I would frighten it off. Apparently they can be very vicious.

Ma Larkin

[Dave]

every night a flock/herd or shoal of badgers come into my sisters garden
they come up to the patio doors
and eat the food she leaves out for them
peanuts and things (recomended by the badger people)
it has been going on for years now
we often go over there for a "badger night"

[poppydog66]

My nan always used to feed the badgers (and foxes ) when I was a kid. I think they used to eat better than she did ! I always remember her making cat food sandwiches and other yukky stuff for them!