Around 6:30 this evening, I heard my dog barking urgently and growling, and she kept charging toward our front fence. Someone had just driven down the gravel drive in a Gator, and I didn't see anything, so I thought maybe that's what it was. However, after looking closer, I saw something on the fence...maybe a squirrel??? I walked over, and saw that it was TWO baby raccoons clinging to the top of the fence...very young ones, maybe the size of 8-week old kittens. My chickens were out and about, and paid absolutely NO attention to them. I thought it odd that they'd be out in plain daylight. I think maybe they were exploring...??? Even though they were tiny, they were fierce little things when confronted, but were really terrified; one peed when we came over to it
We pushed them off the fence (gently) with a push-broom, and they scurried off across the gravel drive into the wooded gulley nearby. Hopefully our nearest neighbors trash cans will provide all the food they need, so they (when they're bigger) won't be eyeballing my girls. I have no problem eliminating an animal attacking my pets, but won't kill one just because it "could" happen.
From a distance...
Up close...
From a distance...
Up close...