Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[MaryJanet]

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".

Thank you for explaining It's very interesting!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

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.

View attachment 1989776

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.
View attachment 1989777

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.

Phew Bob, my heart was racing reading that. Thanks for sharing.

We don't have much in the way of predators here. Really no native predators except for quolls and birds of prey. I'm glad I don't have to deal with skunks and bears and raccoons, just venomous reptiles and spiders. I'm used to those!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

My best chook friend who is the Frizzle breeder lost about four Frizzles to a hawk. When I asked what she did about it, she said she caught it, terrorised it for a bit and let it go. Apparently it didn’t come back.

The images "terrorised" conjures .

 

[BY Bob]

My best chook friend who is the Frizzle breeder lost about four Frizzles to a hawk. When I asked what she did about it, she said she caught it, terrorised it for a bit and let it go. Apparently it didn’t come back.

Now that's an idea! I'd love to know how she terrorized it.

• Show it pictures of its family and tell it she knew where they lived
• Put bamboo under its talons
• Slowly drip water on its forehead
• Tickle it until it wets itself
• Make it eat dirt
• Give it noogies

I wonder?

 

[BY Bob]

Thank you for explaining It's very interesting!

A lot of the fun with this group is in learning about the differences in our worlds. From blizzards to fires to predators there is so much to learn.

 

[BY Bob]

Phew Bob, my heart was racing reading that. Thanks for sharing.

We don't have much in the way of predators here. Really no native predators except for quolls and birds of prey. I'm glad I don't have to deal with skunks and bears and raccoons, just venomous reptiles and spiders. I'm used to those!

I cannot imagine being "used to" venomous reptiles and spiders. I'm very glad we don't have those here.

 

[WhoDatChick]

Now that's an idea! I'd love to know how she terrorized it.

• Show it pictures of its family and tell it she knew where they lived
• Put bamboo under its talons
• Slowly drip water on its forehead
• Tickle it until it wets itself
• Make it eat dirt
• Give it noogies

I wonder?

 

[WhoDatChick]

I cannot imagine being "used to" venomous reptiles and spiders. I'm very glad we don't have those here.

Maybe not in your parts Bob but we sure do... the rattlers.. copper heads.. and water moccasins.. and the brown recluse spider that my 20 year old nephew literally almost lost an arm to ... he had to be treated regularly for months!

 

[BlueBaby]

Maybe not in your parts Bob but we sure do... the rattlers.. copper heads.. and water moccasins.. and the brown recluse spider that my 20 year old nephew literally almost lost an arm to ... he had to be treated regularly for months!

Those brown recluse spider bite's are nasty. You have to watch when you have to crawl under the house, or other dark places where they like to live.

 

[BY Bob]

Maybe not in your parts Bob but we sure do... the rattlers.. copper heads.. and water moccasins.. and the brown recluse spider that my 20 year old nephew literally almost lost an arm to ... he had to be treated regularly for months!

We do have the brown recluse spider. Copperheads and timber rattlesnakes are here as well but they live mostly in the mountains not around where I live.
None of then are "prevalent" here enough to be a real worry. I guess we are lucky in that.