Country Life
ANYONE who contemplates keeping chickens in our part of the world must take account of the fox, and ours is a hill fox, a creature that travels along ledges, runs under over- hanging rocks and has many escape and bolt holes through slabs and devious routes that bring him out on the other side of the moun- tain. There is a fox living on the cliff above the cottage. I have lately found evidence of his presence, and I think I know where he lives, although there is nothing much we can do about his living quarters. He has more than one way in and the limestone is under- mined. Two or three hundred yards lower down is the fowlhouse, at present unbccupied. It is bounded by a high fence of netting, but when the chickens are in residence, as we hope they may be next year, something more will have to be done to block the way against old Charlie up the cliff. His diet, from what I can make out, is varied. He had a web- footed bird of some sort a week ago. I have seen the remains of rabbits and something very like the bones of a fish, although where he got the fish course frbm I can't imagine. Perhaps when we have the chickens he may be fool enough to venture down and be trapped or shot. We tolerate the stoat but I doubt whether toleration will be possible- in the case of the fox when point-of-lay birds are sb expensive and the raider's appetite so ravenous.
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