Sad news here at Apple Tree Farm. A raccoon has been picking off our hens one or two at a time and all we have left now is a very lonely rooster. David went out one night with the intentions of getting rid of the raccoon but it scurried under the chicken coop before he could get to it. I think he was secretly relieved. This is the guy who sees deer in our backyard and says, “Quick, come see!” instead of “Honey, get my gun!”. And I’m very grateful for that. Still, we are both just barely practical enough to understand that there are times you have to do something you don’t want to do in order to protect livestock.
That is, until this shows up on your back patio:
And you see his little face:
And you know he’s just hungry:
And he gives you this look:
So the plan no longer involves eradication. David will be installing a taller, more secure fence with footings around the bottom to prevent digging under. Oh, and I’m calling him “Rocky”.
Savira Gupta says
Great capture of the eyes in the second photo…
crazyladyx5 says
EWWW.. KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!
Cherie says
I'm so sorry you've lost your hens! We've created the Fort Knox of hen houses so ours are safe from crawling creatures, but not flying ones. I know what you mean about not wanting to get rid of such a cute little creature…but my husband would have words with me if I started feeding a raccoon. 🙂
SJ says
It's terrible about your hens, I didn't know something so cute could do that. Kind of looks like butter wouldn't melt and Rocky is a fitting name.
Dangerous Linda says
sorry about your hens. i understand your dilemma — haha!