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.........Last Updated: 1 May 2013..........
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Flower
Well, it all started one night when I arrived at the chicken coup later than usual. It was dark. We'd been watching the Olympics and I had just forgotten them. Anyway, as I start to enter the chicken yard, our Golden Retriever, Comet, growled and barked toward the coup. He doesn't do this so I looked up and saw a small critter, who had black with a white stripe down it's back, rushing into the coup. So, I carefully circled up and around the hill so I could see into the coup without getting close. And there this cute little critter was trying to hide in the coup. Well, Flower [named immediately because he reminded me of the skunk in the story of Bambi] was cute. And, far to small to be a chicken killer that night. I looked around for Mom and Dad. Didn't see them. So, I ventured closer. When I reached the door, I check inside for Mom and Dad. Didn't see them. I hoped Comet would bark if Mom or Dad came into the yard. Flower turned slightly and lefted his tail only slightly then quickly wrapped it around himself and he hunkered down as close to the floor as he could.
What do to?
I got on my cell phone and called down to the house and talked to Garry, my husband.
All the suggestions of convincing Flower to leave failed.
My conclusion was that because of his size, I assume Mom and Dad Skunk would be arriving very soon. And, then I'd have to deal with anxious parents, too. So, I left the light on so the chickens could see where Flower was and then closed the door. I hoped that Flower would leave on his own in the morning after I opened the door.
In the morning, I opened the coup door and all the chickens hurried out. Many, keeping an eye or the intruder, Flower, who had snuggled into a corner next to the large plastic box where I store the corn.
Left and hoped for the best.
Returned around noon and Flower was gone.
Was our skunk problem gone, too? I doubted it would be.
Several days passed, once, again, I was a little late, the sun has just gone down, and, I stood by the coup door and looked inside and there Flower was snuggled into the same place. I noticed a few feathers and knew he was enjoying his down feather bed.
The hens were clucking and telling me that they didn't want Flower in their coup but then, done of them realized the stink that would come out of Flower if I scared him in my attempt to get him out of the coup. So, I said, "Good night, ladies and Flower," and closed the door.
Flower stayed three nights this time.
Still no sign of Mom. [Since I wrote this article, I've read that it's just Mom, because Dad is off somewhere else and let's Mom do the raising of the kit.]
Flower left the next morning as quietly as he did the last time. No fuss. No smell.
Knowing the seriousness of skunks, who can carry rabies, I started to track down my large trap and called my son, Douglas, who lives in town and has caught six skunks who took a fancy to their cat food. "They love peanut butter," Douglas told me. So, I made a peanut butter sandwich, put it in the trap and set it in the large next to the water and some scattered corn, which I assume had been the original drawing points in the chicken yard for Flower and Mom.
The next morning, the trap, which had been up the hill above the coup, was, now, down by the fence and void of a captured skunk and the peanut butter sandwich.
So, this mother skunk has probably had experiences with these wire traps.
Two nights later, as I walked toward the chicken yard, Comet ran up to the fence ahead of me. I opened the gate, closed it and started to walk up the stairs. Comet growled and barked. This time he seemed more excited than the last time. I stopped in my tracks. Above me were two adult skunks. Not just a Mom. Need I say it, I backed down very slowly and left the yard. Quietly Comet and I stood by the fence to observe the skunks. The two adults were drinking from the water container by the door then they both went into the coup. One of the chickens made a terrible noise. According to my mother, skunks kill chickens, so, I charged down to the house, got a torch light, which could lite up the yard, told Garry what I was going to do, called both dogs, and up we went to save most of the hens. At this point, I knew I'd probably be working hours to rid the dogs of the smell but it was worth it, I thought, to save the hens. Open the door and said to the dogs: "Go get `em!" Didn't have to tell them twice. They were off at a fast pace. Comet knew because he had seen the skunks. Dublin, our Irish Setter, who'd been wanting to get into the yard didn't know what I wanted but it didn't take long. His nose told him there were critters. He and Comet were in the chicken coup and out ran the skunks who vanished uphill and into the darkness with both dogs close behind but not too close. They both have experienced the spray of skunks through the years.
Meanwhile, since I hadn't seen Flower, I stood at the doorway looking into the coup to see if he was still inside and with great hope that I wouldn't see a mangled hen on the floor. No Flower. About that time Quicksilver, who was very frighten, flew over my shoulder and out the door. Comet was just coming down the hill and the next thing I knew Comet had caught Quicksilver in mid flight and was off running with her in his mouth.
Quicksilver
Comet has been known to catch birds and ends up killing them. Not at all what a Golden Retriever should do, but there isn't a lot about this dog that goes against his breeding. Anyway, I calling [more like a scream, I must, now admit], "Comet drop!" Off Comet went with the hen in his mouth and her squawking became less and less....
By this time Garry and our granddaughter Marin are down below and shouting, "What's happening?!"
I responded, "Comet has a chicken."
So, the two of them are dealing with Comet and Quicksilver, whom I assume will be one dead plucked hen by the time I get down to the house.
I get Dublin, who comes back from the darkness uphill and he doesn't smell. Well, that was one good thing, I thought, as I closed the chicken coup door, and, the two of us head to the house.
By the house, Comet is in complete defiance. He's not going to drop Quicksilver who's body is hanging limply from his mouth. Finally we coach him to the kitchen door. We know he wants to come into the house with his "prize" so when he finally comes near us, Garry and I grab him. Then, I try to get Quicksilver out of his iron jaws that aren't going to let his "prize" free. Garry takes over that job and prys the dog's jaws open slightly and Quicksilver makes a pitiful sound. "She's alive," our granddaughter, Marin, announces. I collect Quicksilver and place her under my one arm to prevent flapping of wings or any other kind of movement. She opens her eyes and "peeps" like a baby chick. Garry drags Comet into the house, while Marin and I watch Quicksilver acting alive and has her head up and appears very much alive.
"So, now, what?" asked Marin.
"Let's find the cat carrier, " I stated, as I wondered how hurt Quicksilver really was.
Finding a car carrier while one's house is under construction is no easy task. But, we did.
I decided to take Quicksilver up to the hen house before I let her free to see the damage. When we got to the hen house, I had changed my mind. I placed her in the carrier because I didn't want her flying all around which would have caused the other hens to become agitated.
In the morning, after I got all the hens out of the coup, I opened the carrier door, Quicksilver walked out and hurried off to get her share of corn, which I always scatter on the on the ground for the ladies.
She looked like she was fine, accept for her tail feathers. They are gone.
...
Quicksilver lost her tail.
At first, she had difficultly flying. It appears she realizes her feathered rudder isn't working [not sure she knows it gone] , but, now, does just fine. However, she no longer flies over the fence.
As for the skunks, I, now, close off the doorway to the larger chicken yard around six o'clock and feed the hens inside the smaller yard.
There is evidence that a critter has visited the smaller yard only once since that night.
I am sure they will return.
I kinda miss Flower but making him into a pet would be a huge mistake since skunks do love chicken eggs which we hope to have in the next few months.
Comet, our Golden Retriever,
and
Dublin, our Irish Setter
Web sites about skunks: