California - Northern

[ronott1]

Whew! (Or would that be "not-phew!?")

The skunk which has been invading my property is a nightly visitor. Last night I got home in full dark, and had not closed up the coop .... So I expected the skunk might be in the coop. I was right.

I turned on the light and a smallish, panicked skunk scrambled up from behind the unused metal trough brooder. It scampered down and across the floor, but ran into the chicken wire barrier around the Kindergarten pen. No juveniles housed there, so the door to that pen is open. I stepped back to allow escape and it ran out and around the corner into the main section of the coop. Peripherally, I saw movement in one of the nests in the ten nest front roll-out bank of nest boxes.

It was Mama Skunk. Oh crap. She had been sleeping in the nest unit, and clambered out of it to the floor, tail up and stamping. Baby Skunk scrabbled in the litter to crawl under the bench below the nest box unit. Mama followed suit once she realized I wasn't going to harass her. I ain't stupid. (Ticked off at myself, but not stupid enough to corner a skunk in close quarters, much less two of them.)

I exited the coop, leaving the pop door open so Skunk Intruders could also exit before morning, which they did. I know this because I saw Mama come back around the corner of the coop after dark this evening, Baby right behind her. But I had the coop locked up tight.

I think they are getting into the yard through a drainage culvert in my "gully." Tomorrow I will cover "my" end of the pipe with welded wire.
Guess I need a gun, too.

That is something else!

I really do not like skunks. I hope you can get them from getting into your place and that they do not manage to follow you to the place you just bought.....

 

[Chickengirl1304]

Owning chickens I've really had the chance to see how smart these predator animals are! The raccoons would dig the food out of the feeders with their hands like a monkey. And the **** foxes would take turns grabbing birds and taking off with them almost like they were waiting in line. I live by the river so I get everything here. But since the 8 foot fence and dog, nothing

 

[chickee]

Whew! (Or would that be "not-phew!?")

The skunk which has been invading my property is a nightly visitor. Last night I got home in full dark, and had not closed up the coop .... So I expected the skunk might be in the coop. I was right.

I turned on the light and a smallish, panicked skunk scrambled up from behind the unused metal trough brooder. It scampered down and across the floor, but ran into the chicken wire barrier around the Kindergarten pen. No juveniles housed there, so the door to that pen is open. I stepped back to allow escape and it ran out and around the corner into the main section of the coop. Peripherally, I saw movement in one of the nests in the ten nest front roll-out bank of nest boxes.

It was Mama Skunk. Oh crap. She had been sleeping in the nest unit, and clambered out of it to the floor, tail up and stamping. Baby Skunk scrabbled in the litter to crawl under the bench below the nest box unit. Mama followed suit once she realized I wasn't going to harass her. I ain't stupid. (Ticked off at myself, but not stupid enough to corner a skunk in close quarters, much less two of them.)

I exited the coop, leaving the pop door open so Skunk Intruders could also exit before morning, which they did. I know this because I saw Mama come back around the corner of the coop after dark this evening, Baby right behind her. But I had the coop locked up tight.

I think they are getting into the yard through a drainage culvert in my "gully." Tomorrow I will cover "my" end of the pipe with welded wire.
Guess I need a gun, too.

Oh boy are you guys lucky you didn't get sprayed! Skunks are a strange lot. A couple of years ago I went to the front door in the morning and stopped short, when I saw through the glass, a small juvenile skunk sitting on the door mat scratching itself with its back leg like a dog. It didn't want to leave, even when it saw me! I tapped on the glass and it ambled off into our carport. I went out to see where it went. I didn't see it so I looked under my car and there it was!! I threw a shoe at it but it wouldn't leave! Finally I was able to convince it to go, but then it ran under the deck at the front of our house and wouldn't come out. I had to get the hose and squirt it with water to make it leave! Sheesh! It was awfully cute sitting on our door mat, and it still hangs out around, but not close to the house. It thinks it is one of our pets

I will admit though that I am afraid of skunks after my mom was chased around our ranch house by a rabid skunk when I was a kid!

gryeyes, you are a great story teller!

 

[chiqita]

Flowers I replied to you. However I did in my bedroom when the interwebs are wonky so I will resend.

I'm glad no one had been skunked! Mario got the fox with a bee bee gun again last night and it took off limping. No blood so we are not the horrible evil people who wound an animal so it dies of an infection. Just the po'd people that want the skunk topiss off and go away!

I have 2 sick hens that I'm nursing right now. One is miss sparkles. She was brooding hiding a HUGE abscess on her foot. It was bigger then her foot I almost fainted when I drained it.

I swear I'm ready to take vet courses after all these chickens dramas!

 

[chickee]

Owning chickens I've really had the chance to see how smart these predator animals are! The raccoons would dig the food out of the feeders with their hands like a monkey. And the **** foxes would take turns grabbing birds and taking off with them almost like they were waiting in line. I live by the river so I get everything here. But since the 8 foot fence and dog, nothing

I know what you mean

Our house overlooks a creek that runs through our 44 acres, so we get lots of animals here to. It is a challenge to keep the chickens safe.

 

[OR4-hmom]

I agree, gryeyes does have a way with words. I'm also happy to here she's not collecting eggs from a sprayed hen house.

 

[chickee]

Flowers I replied to you. However I did in my bedroom when the interwebs are wonky so I will resend.

I'm glad no one had been skunked! Mario got the fox with a bee bee gun again last night and it took off limping. No blood so we are not the horrible evil people who wound an animal so it dies of an infection. Just the po'd people that want the skunk topiss off and go away!

I have 2 sick hens that I'm nursing right now. One is miss sparkles. She was brooding hiding a HUGE abscess on her foot. It was bigger then her foot I almost fainted when I drained it.

I swear I'm ready to take vet courses after all these chickens dramas!

poor hen and poor you!

 

[chickee]

Studies recently have shown that all eggs hatch better sitting big end up for the first 18 days and tilted back at lockdown. That is the way the hatcheries are incubating and hatching now.

Hatching under a Broody is really cool but on average there will be less chickens hatched. It is a lot less work though and power outages are not a problem.

I was afraid of that. I have another broody and had hoped to take advantage and put some shipped eggs under her, darn it. It makes it so easy when the hens raise the chicks.

 

[chiqita]

Even if she does not incubate she can and will raise them. I also think if no one moves her ( is no other hens kicking her off) hen > styrafoam incubator. If you have a brinsea or a cabinet stick eggs in then and give her chicks.

Also boo to everyone's predictor issues!
Also flowers I re pmed yell if you did not get it.

We went to the sauslaito art festival today. Burnt and happy!

 

[ronott1]

I was afraid of that. I have another broody and had hoped to take advantage and put some shipped eggs under her, darn it. It makes it so easy when the hens raise the chicks.

Even if she does not incubate she can and will raise them. I also think if no one moves her ( is no other hens kicking her off) hen > styrafoam incubator. If you have a brinsea or a cabinet stick eggs in then and give her chicks.

Also boo to everyone's predictor issues!
Also flowers I re pmed yell if you did not get it.

We went to the sauslaito art festival today. Burnt and happy!

Yes! incubate them and slip the chicks under the Broody! Great idea, Chiqita.