Jojo
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FoxyWe have the odd fox comes into the garden in the evening and I don't mind, but he's coming in the mornings now and eating the peanuts and sultanas I put out for the blackbirds on the ground feeder, I think he might have a den in the garden behind me,in fact there were two of them today, as I say they don't bother me but I am not happy with the thought of them breeding close by,we are going to talk to the lady behind her garden though small is a bit over grown,I am only going to put sunflower seeds out tomorrow,but feel sad for the blackbirds they wait for me every morning,what do you think i should do?
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Kathy
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Never had experience of this Jojo, could you replace your ground feeders to discourage the foxes?
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nanny-now and forever
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how about a bird table?
the fox would only get the bits that drop off and the blackbirds would get their feed
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kaz
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Our blackbirds will only feed off the ground, I've never seen them near the bird table.
Foxes are considered as vermin here 
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Libby
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As beautiful as they are, I to, consider them a 'pest'. They steal our chickens given half the chance and we had neighbours who used to feed a fox family as they where so scrawny! They (neighbours) just didn't get that they where scrawny becuase they where living beyond the natural means of the area.
So if they where coming into my garden I would scare them away!
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Bovey Belle
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Ground feeding encourages rats too. I love to see foxes, but not in my garden on a regular basis. Not sure how you would manage to feed the blackbirds but not the foxes . . .
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Jojo
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Thanks all,today I only put sunflower seeds out on the ground feeder,but went out so don't know if the foxes had any of that,I have a bird table but black birds don't like a table they are ground feeders, and sultanas are their favorite food,thought I might fix a dish up in the fir tree and see if they will use that the two foxes that come into the garden arn't thin in fact they look very healthy,they do dig big holes in the garden looking for worms.
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Lizzie
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Jojo, we make fat cakes for the birds in our garden and the blackbirds are more than happy to sit on the bird table to eat those ... we had five on there at once the other day, forming a (dis)orderly queue!
Basically, you melt a block of beef dripping, stir in as much 'stuff' (we use just bird seed but I can't why you couldn't put sultanas in there too) as it'll take (so you can't see any liquid fat in the pan but all the stuff is well coated), put it into yoghurt pots to set then just put them on the bird table.
They seem to be very popular round our way 
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Jojo
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Thanks jellycat,I will try that,I have made fat balls if I have any juices left from cooking a chicken or joint but only put bread in so i will try with the peanuts and sultanas.
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Eh Up
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We don't have foxes, but this morning I woke up and there was a family of Guinea pigs on the lawn - apparently some escaped from our landlords house about 4 years ago and have now populated the local area 
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Becki
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Wild guinea pigs 
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Libby
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I love guinea pigs!
I think they eat them in South America
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Kathy
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Don't tell Coco!
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nanny-now and forever
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i adore guinea pigs
they make lovely little guinea pig sounds and have nice ears
yes they do eat them in south america
dont' get me thinking about guinea pigs again.......
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Kathy
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I saw a partridge this evening when I went to pick Greenman up, nearly ran it over in fact. Never seen one before, what a lovely colour.
Nanny, get a guinea pig, you know it makes sense..........................
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Libby
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I used to breed guinea pigs, I had one that lived for 9 1/2 years , he was adorable. I stopped breeding becuase my guinea pigs where all murdered by badgers in the drought of 1995!!! 
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Lizzie
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I love the idea of wild Guinea Pigs (or Jimmy Pigs, as they're known in our household...)
Marvellous little people - I used to have one called TP (short for That Pig...) - he was great.
Go on nanny - you know you want to....
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Libby
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They used to have a breeding group living out in purpose built tunnels etc at a local Garden Centre years ago but they got the most awful mites and they all had to be caught and given to new homes.
Thinking about it I'm surprised they are living wild as they hate the cold, damp winter months!
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Eh Up
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I'm surprised that they have survived for so long because 1 of them is bright ginger
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Libby
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Awwwwwwwwwww!
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Jojo
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Talking of bright ginger,I have two foxes running round and round my back garden chasing each other like a couple of dogs
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coco331
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we've got a guinea pig, called Mr Pig, Lovely wee thing, makes honky noises all the time. He doesn't have a friend and I'm wondering if it would cause trouble introducing another one at this late stage, he's four and not been neutered. We did try with another guinea but it turned out to be a female, so we promptly returned it! Anyone got any experience with guineas?
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Libby
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If you introduce a male guinea pig they will fight! You can sometimes introduce a young male (baby 6 - 8 weeks old), but Mr Pig will mount him all the time, they do eventually settle but to be honest it depends on the guinea pigs. Give plenty of greens when and if you introduce them. Best done in a run on grass so neutral territory.
They are company animals though!
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Becki
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We had a male guinea pig and it used to mount the rabbit all the time. It was quite disgusting
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