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The Skunk
I realized after @Aussie-Chookmum response that I have never told the rabid skunk story here. It happened in November of 2016. It took place only 3 years ago but it seems a lifetime in the makeup of the flock. It is also a part of Daisy's story.
After the hawk attack that killed Dolly free ranging unsupervised was forbidden. It was a warm day in November and I wanted to let them out while I was working from home. So I moved my computer to the dining room and worked from there so I could keep an eye on them.
About 3:00 pm the girls were in the garden. I had turned it over and they were digging furiously and finishing the job for me. When all of a sudden Daisy, the greatest hen ever, squawked and flew up into the air.
This obviously drew my eye, by the time Daisy landed, all three hens scattered and ran. This is what I saw when I walked out on the deck.
I called the girls to me. It took me a second to see what the cause of the commotion was and then my eyes found it.
He was huge and had blood on his face. Combined with the fact that he was out during the middle of the day, I assume he was rabid. They would never catch him.
I knew I needed to get it out of the yard and away from the girls. So without thinking to grab a broom or anything I headed out to confront it.
We met a little ways further up the pool essentially parallel to the coop door. Boy that skunk was big close up. I had never seen one so big.
When I got close enough the skunk stopped moving and so did I.
It was at this point I realized I had not thought this out very well. I had nothing to dissuade it with. What was I going to do. If I turned around to go back and get something would it attack and chase me? Of course I did not want it to spray me as well. This was when I saw the blood on its face and I started thinking this thing is probably rabid as well.
So we stood there staring at each other for quite I a while. I knew one thing, no matter what it was not getting past me to the ladies. I can take a lot of damage if necessary but it's not getting past me.
So I thought to myself, I'm pretty big compared to it. It probably doesn't really want to tangle with something this big or it already would have attacked me.
So I took one slow step forward.
The skunk took a small step backwards.
OK, let's do this again, I took another slow step forward.
The skunk started to turn.
I froze. Crap! I bet it's going to spray me. Do I run?
Before i decided to take off, the skunk started walking away. I followed it to the gate by the patio, a respectful distance back of course, and it slipped under the gate and was gone.
Never to be seen again.
The authorities never found it.
The girls were saved and the relief that nothing really bad had happened to me or the girls was real.
I have often considered getting a small caliber handgun mostly because of skunks. Instead I have settled on the nerf gun because it is very effective against hawks. I have also shot a skunk with it. The skunk ran. So I guess it works on them as well.
I realized after @Aussie-Chookmum response that I have never told the rabid skunk story here. It happened in November of 2016. It took place only 3 years ago but it seems a lifetime in the makeup of the flock. It is also a part of Daisy's story.
After the hawk attack that killed Dolly free ranging unsupervised was forbidden. It was a warm day in November and I wanted to let them out while I was working from home. So I moved my computer to the dining room and worked from there so I could keep an eye on them.
About 3:00 pm the girls were in the garden. I had turned it over and they were digging furiously and finishing the job for me. When all of a sudden Daisy, the greatest hen ever, squawked and flew up into the air.
This obviously drew my eye, by the time Daisy landed, all three hens scattered and ran. This is what I saw when I walked out on the deck.
I called the girls to me. It took me a second to see what the cause of the commotion was and then my eyes found it.
He was huge and had blood on his face. Combined with the fact that he was out during the middle of the day, I assume he was rabid. They would never catch him.
I knew I needed to get it out of the yard and away from the girls. So without thinking to grab a broom or anything I headed out to confront it.
We met a little ways further up the pool essentially parallel to the coop door. Boy that skunk was big close up. I had never seen one so big.
When I got close enough the skunk stopped moving and so did I.
It was at this point I realized I had not thought this out very well. I had nothing to dissuade it with. What was I going to do. If I turned around to go back and get something would it attack and chase me? Of course I did not want it to spray me as well. This was when I saw the blood on its face and I started thinking this thing is probably rabid as well.
So we stood there staring at each other for quite I a while. I knew one thing, no matter what it was not getting past me to the ladies. I can take a lot of damage if necessary but it's not getting past me.
So I thought to myself, I'm pretty big compared to it. It probably doesn't really want to tangle with something this big or it already would have attacked me.
So I took one slow step forward.
The skunk took a small step backwards.
OK, let's do this again, I took another slow step forward.
The skunk started to turn.
I froze. Crap! I bet it's going to spray me. Do I run?
Before i decided to take off, the skunk started walking away. I followed it to the gate by the patio, a respectful distance back of course, and it slipped under the gate and was gone.
Never to be seen again.
The authorities never found it.
The girls were saved and the relief that nothing really bad had happened to me or the girls was real.
I have often considered getting a small caliber handgun mostly because of skunks. Instead I have settled on the nerf gun because it is very effective against hawks. I have also shot a skunk with it. The skunk ran. So I guess it works on them as well.
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... I’ve been thinking about getting an airsoft gun.. they shoot a small plastic ball.. a little bigger than a B.B. ... my boys used to have them and play war with each other and friends.. you can even get machine gun type of guns 
.. and hand guns.. they will sting but not kill and you will not have to retrieve these pellets.. probably very affective on dogs.. that’s why I want one.. and it probably shoots farther than the nerf gun...
