"Martin" wrote in message
news
On Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:11:32 +0100, David in Normandy
wrote:

Christina Websell wrote:

You were lucky that you got them back, if any of mine were out overnight
that would be the end of them, down the throat of Mr/Ms Fox. I don't
know
if foxes are such a nuisance in France as they are here though, they
didn't
seem to be in Germany.

Depends on which part of Germany and where.


In a very rural area called the Wendland.
Where I stayed there were around 20 houses, no shop, pub and one street lamp
that was turned off at 11 pm. I was assured by my chicken-keeping friend
that there were foxes but they were far too nervous to come into the
village, probably because no-one is stupid enough to feed them like they do
here in the UK.
There seems to be more of a threat to free range chickens from goshawks
there, birds of prey were just everywhere.
There is also another chicken predator they sometimes get that my friend
calls an enoch that has apparently spread there from Poland. I have no idea
what it is, her description seems to say its a bit like a cross between a
small wild dog and a raccoon.
Could be anything ;-) Enoch is obviously the German name for it.

The Wendland is an idyllic place, we went out for a walk for 6 hours and saw
just one farmer away in the fields on his tractor. No other humans.
I chickened out (excuse the pun) when we sat at the edge of a pond at dusk
watching the bats feeding and heard wild boar approaching.
I was up and out of there and scampering down that deserted road back to the
house in point 5 seconds. Not that I am a wimp, you understand.
Nüle followed me back more slowly. "You weren't frightened of the wild
pigs, were you?" she enquired. "No, of course not" I said. "I thought it
was getting near bed-time.."
"But it's 7.30!" she said.
It was August. It was getting dark, got to be bedtime with wild boar around
you!!

I was surprised how hot it was in Germany in August. 30C plus every day.
I nearly fried.
Somehow I'd thought the climate was similar to Britain. My suncream was not
sufficient.

Tina