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The mirror

Oh, they know what they’re looking at. I mean, they couldn’t describe it to you in words of one syllable, but they are both intrigued and unafraid.

Rosie and Jenny as six-week-old mille fleur bantams. Rosie vanished one day, presumably taken by the fox. I heard a bark, but the other chickens didn’t react, so it was a sneaky one.

Jenny grew up to be a wonderful great fat mille fleur archetype and the mother of Sam, Mo and Millie. Not their biological mother, but she sat the eggs and raised them.

An even sneakier fox got her. He head-butted his way into the nest box and ate her right off the perch. I ran out to find him trapped in the chicken run. I opted to let him go to save the other chicken trapped inside.

What was I going to do, beat him to death with a banjo?

Comments


Comment from lauraw
Time: December 30, 2021, 8:23 pm

Yes!


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: December 30, 2021, 8:57 pm

I sincerely have waited my whole life to earn the headline “Elderly Sussex Woman Beats Fox to Death with Banjo!” I have dreams.


Changing topic, I have to flog this Twitter thread. Stevie Martin has tried to make ends meet doing sketch comedy on line and every single one of the vids in that thread is hilarious.

I tried to tip her using Ko-fi, but then realized I’d be connecting a credit card with this account. Least I can do is share her stuff.


Comment from Cantharkmycry
Time: December 31, 2021, 12:50 am

I’m guessing that disposing of a fox carcass in the UK would involve considerably more than tossing it on the rubbish heap…


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: December 31, 2021, 1:43 pm

My farmer neighbors hang them from trees as a warning to others. I don’t know if it works, but it’s creepy as hell.


Comment from durnedyankee
Time: December 31, 2021, 2:09 pm

Are you sure the first one was a Fox and not a Welsh squirrel?


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: December 31, 2021, 4:14 pm

For all I know, the first one fell in the ditch and drowned. I’ve lost a number of my chooks like that – just vanished without a trace, no fanfare, no upset flock, not a feather left behind.


Comment from Deborah HH
Time: December 31, 2021, 5:27 pm

How do your neighbors dispatch Br’er Fox?

Given how onerous gun laws are in your country, I’d be for building a rubberband gun. My Second Father was a crackerjack with the rubberband gun, and downright lethal (against rodents) with a wishbone slingshot. Neither would kill Br’er Fox, but it would be very satisfying to thump him a good one.


Comment from durnedyankee
Time: December 31, 2021, 5:50 pm

Potato gun.

PVC, ronson lighter fluid, potato, ignition source.

You don’t have to build it to fire 2 lb Russet bakers, you can scale it down to fire them fancy new potato mixes or even fingerling taters.

Rate of fire? I’ll wager a well trained potato gunner can get off 2 to 3 aimed rounds a minute.


Comment from BJM
Time: January 1, 2022, 7:36 pm

Can you own a hunting bow? A fishing speargun?

The farmers hereabouts hang coyote carcasses on their wire fences. Our foxes are a specific species and are protected so they pick off the occasional barn cat or young hawk.

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