I have no particular feelings one way or another on the hunting debate but I must take issue with Jill Brown (Letters, September 12), who states that foxes kill only to eat.

This is nonsense. We had a smallholding on the South Downs for many years and, on several occasions, our entire small flock of free-range hens was killed by a fox and just left strewn in a bloodbath up the field - not eaten at all, just all dead and lying there.

It was very distressing. My children, in particular, found it hard to understand.

This was in broad daylight and not because they hadn't been secured overnight.

-Wendy Taylor, Wendy.taylor67@ntlworld.com