Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road!

When I was a teenager there was a song with this title. I remember singing it with my friends as we drove around an old race course in Montana. Tonight I'd really like to see a dead skunk in the middle of my driveway. Last night it killed one of my baby Auracauna chicks and tonight it got another. I now only have one baby chick left and I plan to protect my last baby. 

Around 4:20AM this morning I heard a horrific screaming sound. It was a sound I had never heard before. It woke me from a very sound sleep. I made myself get up and investigate. When I got outside I saw my black cat "Freckles" corralling two baby chicks out of the carport. I thought SHE had eaten the missing chick and was going after the last two. I was very angry to say the least. I locked her up in the house all day and refused to give into her pleas. I couldn't decide if she had done the dirty deed or she was the heroine of the moment, but I wasn't taking any chances. 

Well tonight I was working on my laptop doing business and I heard that horrible screaming sound. I raced outside to hear my mama chicken attacking a skunk and then saw the skunk licking the blood from the head of the chick it was killing. I freaked out. Hubby wasn't around to help so I was on my own. I ran in the house and grabbed the shotgun in its case and opened it. I blanked out. I couldn't remember a thing about how to load and fire it. I grabbed the 22 and the same helpless feeling came over me. I simply froze and couldn't remember a thing about using them. I'm sure that happens to more people that care to admit it. I returned to the carport to hear the last baby chick chirping and mama chicken having a conniption fit. The skunk was nowhere to be seen. Yay for that little bit of revelation. My next thought was the neighbor. He had caught a skunk in his live trap and my live trap was standing against the wall. I recovered the dead chick and called the neighbor as I had NO idea how to set the trap. He came over, threw the dead bird in the cage and set the trap. He told me he'd been averaging a skunk a week. I remember seeing one trapped in his live trap in the front yard of his property. The animal control guy came and disposed of it. 

I hate the death part of farm living. I realize skunks have to live, but I'd rather they eat eggs as opposed to my baby chicks. 

I then decided that mama and baby needed to be in a safer location so I escorted them with my broom into my wash house for the night. Mama was not a bit happy with the process, but settled down immediately once she knew it was a safe location. With a few puppy pads on the floor, some food and water and a quiet corner she can remain in my "witness protection" safe house until I clean our small hen house and prep it for her. I have another mama hen and single baby in the big hen house. I think they will be joining Miss Princess and her baby in the house with a fence and netting over it. No more skunks dining on my babies. 

Dead skunk in the middle of the road and it's stinking to high heaven...now how did the rest of the song go?  I will be singing my own rendition soon.