At 1 a.m. we were awakened by an awful commotion in the henhouse. Horrible screams and cries...my heart stopped! I threw on my robe and ran outside in my barefeet, grabbing a long piece of wood off the deck as I went and yelling for Dave to find the flashlight. I turned on the spotlights and porch light before I left the kitchen. I have never heard such sheer terror from animals in my life. The hair on my neck was standing up and I thought I was going to throw up before I even got the the henhouse. I opened the door, scared out of my wits at what I was going to find. One hen was hiding up in the rafters and at first I thought she was missing her head...but Dave arrived with a flashlight and said, "No she's ok. She blinked at me." Some were competely still on the floor, but when I gently prodded them, they suddenly flew at me and out into the yard. So, no bodies, thank god. We then tramped around the brush, with flashlights, trying to round up chickens until 3 a.m. At that point we gave up and went inside, but I was so upset I stayed on the sofa all night, listening for any sounds. We found the remaining 3 girls in the morning, huddled in a pile of sand next to the house foundation. I was so releived, I cried.
On inspection of the hen house, we found long claw marks on the back of it and the hatch door was half pulled off, but whatever it was never got inside...probably just it's snout. It apparently jumped on the chicken wire above the pen and got in that way. When I described it to folks at work they said it sounded like a fisher. Not only the blood curdling screams but other strange noises I've heard during the day which leads me to believe it's living in some trees on one side of our property. I felt sick the rest of the night and last night too, although Dave screwed the door to the house and is redoing it today. How do I get rid of this hellish critter? It's illegal to do anything to them in MA but I'm honestly thinking of getting a .22.
Sign me still reeling.....
On inspection of the hen house, we found long claw marks on the back of it and the hatch door was half pulled off, but whatever it was never got inside...probably just it's snout. It apparently jumped on the chicken wire above the pen and got in that way. When I described it to folks at work they said it sounded like a fisher. Not only the blood curdling screams but other strange noises I've heard during the day which leads me to believe it's living in some trees on one side of our property. I felt sick the rest of the night and last night too, although Dave screwed the door to the house and is redoing it today. How do I get rid of this hellish critter? It's illegal to do anything to them in MA but I'm honestly thinking of getting a .22.
Sign me still reeling.....
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