Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

I think you handled the situation quite well. Why would blood on its face indicate rabies? How do you tell the difference between a skunk with rabies and a skunk that's been eating something bloody? Are skunks omnivorous? Like Ribh said, we don't have rabies in Australia (or skunks) so I'm very uninformed.

Skunk are nocturnal. So it being out in the middle of a sunny day indicates it is ill.

While omnivores, skunks are scavengers by nature. They will steal eggs but don't normally mess with the chickens, although if very hungry they will. You should not see red blood on the face of a skunk unless it is a very unusual circumstance.

These things led me to believe it was rabid. It is just so out of character. And to attack a hen that could run away. Very unusual. Killing one on the roost is much easier. They are not really 'hunters".

 

[BY Bob]

Lilly Finally get the Roost as She Wants it

And I am not home. I have informed my wife.

 

[Ribh]

Lilly Finally get the Roost as She Wants it

And I am not home. I have informed my wife.
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So, ummm...where is everybody else?

 

[LozzyR]

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.

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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.
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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.

Wow Bob, you’re a great chook-dad. I’m glad the girls knew to hide behind you. Yes, no rabies in Australia but we do have Australian Bat Lyssavirus, which is in the same category as rabies.

 

[WhoDatChick]

Maybe this doesn't apply to you but whatever it is, it needs to be highly portable for my chicken keeping circumstances.
The sling shot is great at under 20 feet with wooden balls and if one misses the consequences are not as serious as having steel and lead balls lying around.
Predator/pest control is a real problem for people who do not feel comfortable, or are unable to use firearms.
I mostly want to scare something away rather than kill it. We have sick polecats here hunting in daylight currently and these need killing. Normally they would hunt other things when healthy. When they are sick they resort to the chickens.

These are plastic balls and wouldn’t kill anything.. just scare em away... Google “airsoft” gun/rifle.. I do not know how to post links..

 

[WhoDatChick]

Maybe this doesn't apply to you but whatever it is, it needs to be highly portable for my chicken keeping circumstances.
The sling shot is great at under 20 feet with wooden balls and if one misses the consequences are not as serious as having steel and lead balls lying around.
Predator/pest control is a real problem for people who do not feel comfortable, or are unable to use firearms.
I mostly want to scare something away rather than kill it. We have sick polecats here hunting in daylight currently and these need killing. Normally they would hunt other things when healthy. When they are sick they resort to the chickens.

And they are considered “toys”... my boys had them for play..

 

[LozzyR]

You can’t tell me that chickens don’t care about each other. Whilst Charlie is often wandering around on her own as Lucy and Chickie are a firm pair, when the chips are down, they are there for support. Chickie was also very shouty this morning, I wondered if she was calling for Charlie, or she was upset she wasn’t there.

 

[BY Bob]

So, ummm...where is everybody else?

They were all on the porch. Everyone is tucked in safely now.

 

[BY Bob]

You can’t tell me that chickens don’t care about each other. Whilst Charlie is often wandering around on her own as Lucy and Chickie are a firm pair, when the chips are down, they are there for support. Chickie was also very shouty this morning, I wondered if she was calling for Charlie, or she was upset she wasn’t there.

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They absolutely care about each
other. I see this all the time. It always warms my heart.

 

[Ribh]

You can’t tell me that chickens don’t care about each other. Whilst Charlie is often wandering around on her own as Lucy and Chickie are a firm pair, when the chips are down, they are there for support. Chickie was also very shouty this morning, I wondered if she was calling for Charlie, or she was upset she wasn’t there.

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It surprises me it's your Australorp that keeps going broody. None of mine ever did but the Barred Rocks now...!!!