Surviving Minnesota!

[MNChickMom]

Thank God the damage from the skunk invasion was kept to a minimum. Skunk dug under the dog kennel and next to the block foundation rolling back the buried hardware cloth as he went. Walked into the coop through the pop door and raised a holy ruckus at 6:20am. Coop lights go on at 6:30am. I heard the ruckus but did not here AJ (BR rooster) so I flew out the door in my PJ's and crocs. Open the shed door then walk to the coop door, for some weird reason the bottom half of the door stayed shut when I flung the door open...only the top half opened. I flipped the light on to see 2 hens fly at my head and A SKUNK sound his alarm. The hens were escaping out the pop door and out the human door. I ran back to the house for the gun.....yes 20 guage shotgun with buck shot. (The only thing I feel comfortable shooting.) Yelling at the kids "CALL GRANDPA QUICK". Grandpa shows up with a 410 - (Closest thing he had). In the mean time son says I saw the skunk escape and down to the pasture. Sorry hens you are locked in the coop with pop door closed today.

I shower with Tomato Paste, and we are off to school and work....we are 1/2 mile from our house and I see the skunk on the gravel road. Called my father in law again....He is tracking it as I write.

As fate would have it today is picture day for daughter at her school and picture day for me at work, (I will be doing retakes.)

Irony.....tonight is the first night I teach 4rth grade religion.....my ice breaker for tonight was Introduce yourself and share one time you had Faith in God.

ALL CHICKENS accounted for and alive.

 

[duluthralphie]

Thank God the damage from the skunk invasion was kept to a minimum. Skunk dug under the dog kennel and next to the block foundation rolling back the buried hardware cloth as he went. Walked into the coop through the pop door and raised a holy ruckus at 6:20am. Coop lights go on at 6:30am. I heard the ruckus but did not here AJ (BR rooster) so I flew out the door in my PJ's and crocs. Open the shed door then walk to the coop door, for some weird reason the bottom half of the door stayed shut when I flung the door open...only the top half opened. I flipped the light on to see 2 hens fly at my head and A SKUNK sound his alarm. The hens were escaping out the pop door and out the human door. I ran back to the house for the gun.....yes 20 guage shotgun with buck shot. (The only thing I feel comfortable shooting.) Yelling at the kids "CALL GRANDPA QUICK". Grandpa shows up with a 410 - (Closest thing he had). In the mean time son says I saw the skunk escape and down to the pasture. Sorry hens you are locked in the coop with pop door closed today.

I shower with Tomato Paste, and we are off to school and work....we are 1/2 mile from our house and I see the skunk on the gravel road. Called my father in law again....He is tracking it as I write.

As fate would have it today is picture day for daughter at her school and picture day for me at work, (I will be doing retakes.)

Irony.....tonight is the first night I teach 4rth grade religion.....my ice breaker for tonight was Introduce yourself and share one time you had Faith in God.

ALL CHICKENS accounted for and alive.

WOW!!!

Lucky you, for the door only half opening!

It is a good thing the school pictures do not have "scratch and sniff" on them.

May the skunk be lying in repose and resting comfortably forever before you get home.

 

[MNChickMom]

WOW!!!

Lucky you, for the door only half opening!

It is a good thing the school pictures do not have "scratch and sniff" on them.

May the skunk be lying in repose and resting comfortably forever before you get home.

I have no other words than devine intervention.....

 

[Rhetts]

Wow @MNChickMom What a way to start the day!!

 

[Minniechickmama]

I have no other words than devine intervention.....

You likely don't need coffee for a wake-me-up today, huh? I have had enough up close and personal experiences with skunk spray. I find the combo of dish detergent, baking soda and peroxide to be most effective.

 

[jerryse]

For Ralpies mushroom thread

Any ideas ?

How about these . Kind of butternut squash color . Bleeds milky Gills go to stem but not down stem . Lots of these .

This one has a hollow stem .

Quite a few of these .

Any ideas ?

 

[MNChickMom]

You likely don't need coffee for a wake-me-up today, huh?  I have had enough up close and personal experiences with skunk spray.  I find the combo of dish detergent, baking soda and peroxide to be most effective.

That was going to be my next post. What do I do now.... can I mix the solution and spray a fine mist in the coop as well...send the chickens out for 30 minutes while it is soaking?

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Skunk in hen house what a mess!

OMG...worst nightmare. Ish. So sorry this happened to you.

You likely don't need coffee for a wake-me-up today, huh? I have had enough up close and personal experiences with skunk spray. I find the combo of dish detergent, baking soda and peroxide to be most effective.

This recipe WORKS!!! Make a paste with Dawn and the baking soda and right before you apply add the peroxide to start the chemical reaction. Works really really well.

For Ralpies mushroom thread

Any ideas ?

How about these . Kind of butternut squash color . Bleeds milky Gills go to stem but not down stem . Lots of these .

This one has a hollow stem .

Quite a few of these .

Any ideas ?

I would love to see that one with the purply gills a little closer. If you cut the mushroom does the flesh start to turn blue? (Indigo Milk Caps...?)


We have a plethora of these white ones and I do not think they are edible. They are HUGE in the woods too and I always stop for them and look them over.

Here is a big chicken of the woods right at work:

 

[jerryse]

No milk on this one . Did not change color when cut .

 

[jerryse]

These are the ones with milk . Watched a video and the guy said to touch your tongue to the milk to test edibility . Said some are quite hot and inedible . Yes it was hot . So no new edibles today .