Yesterday as I went outside through our back door I noticed a faint murmuring sound in our hot water closet. I didn't pay too much attention to it and just thought it was the hot water heater making weird noises. After I was out for awhile I came back to the door and kept hearing the same sound. I stood and waited. This was getting a little unnerving to me.
I called my husband out to see if he heard what I heard, and sure enough, he did. He pulled up a patio chair and sat down to wait it out. Well, what we both saw next was really crazy. Every few seconds we saw through the bottom crack of the door, a furry tail moving back and forth! We were paralyzed with what to do next. I suggested for him to call a friend that may know what to do.
The friend was there in fifteen minutes. All three of us were sitting there analyzing the situation. The friend said to quickly open the door and jump back (about 15 feet). I freaked out and went in the house and waited for something to happen. When I looked out the window, the two of them were right next to the open door seriously looking down. The friend motioned for me to come out, and low and behold, there were two spotted skunks all wrapped up together. We couldn't even tell if there were babies they were so entwined.
They got the garden hose and tried to wash them out. No luck. Then they tried the leaf blower to no avail.
Then they waited, and one of the little critters came walking out with his tail up, and we all moved. The other one was still in the insulation that wraps the water heater. They sprayed some garden spray and removed all the insulation. I never saw the second one leave, but they reassured me he did.
I feel uneasy about my hens because spotted skunks are in the weasel family and will get my chickens. I am on "Red Alert" for spotted skunks.
If you have any experience with these cute and smelly critters they are out this time of year and do Watch Out. They do spray and suck the blood of chickens!
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