Feathery Friday
Flapper and I are hanging out today and napping. I got up at 1am and 4am to see what the raccoon might be doing, but didn’t see him either time. And Flapper knocked over my morning latte. So I’m a little sleepy.
The ducks are always safe in their predator-proof night pens, and their day aviary is safe, too. We’re just reinforcing the door jams to be absolutely positive. The raccoon did not try to get into the aviary when the ducks were in there. It tried to get into the aviary when the ducks were in their other night pens. And it’s possible it wasn’t the raccoon who tried to get in, as the space is pretty small. I think it might have been the opossum. His skull is small-enough to fit through there. We have an opossum who hangs around who could have bent the hardware cloth. It’ll be reinforced by the end of today.
We don’t plan on trapping or killing or hurting this raccoon. It’s illegal to trap and relocate them, for one. Also, removing a raccoon just opens up territory for another to take its place. And the next one could be more interested in the ducks. We did trap and euthanize raccoons when Georgie was killed in November, because they kept returning in the middle of the day, and they wanted to hurt the other ducks. There were at least 5 of them and they would crawl over over the pen during the night.
But today there’s a mole digging holes in the yard, a bald eagle who swoops down on the yard, a barred owl visitor, a hawk next door, opossums, raccoons and more. We would like to live in peace with our furry neighbors, so that’s our goal.
We did buy some of this to sprinkle around the aviary:
It’s supposed to help keep nerdball away.
Flapper hopes it keeps sharks out of his pond, too.
9 Comments
I use various kinds of shake away too. The raccoon mix does work for me, as does the cat and dog shake away. The shake away for dogs – is because their humans like to let them pee on my grass.
So I try to deter them from using my lawn as a bathroom.
I use it for cats won’t kill my birds that visit my yard. I will say the stuff works.
Here’s hoping it keeps the critters away…~
“just a leetle cape?” I’ve been giggling at that all day! enjoy the weekend and may all the critters be safe!
That picture of you and Flapper is GORgeous. I think he kind of likes you.
do they make shake away for humans?
Ha ha ha Kelly. Don’t I wish. “Boss Shake Away” BIG untapped market there.
Nerdball is such an awesome word/title!
I bet it repels every shark but the O’Malley shark, Flapper.
Well, the raccoon is just doing what it has to do to survive. I don’t fault the nerdball for that. Of course, you can’t have him/her around the duckies.
I’m sorry that this brings back painful memories of Georgie’s death for you, Tiff. I know it does for me. Your compassion for the nerdball and other predators after all that has happened is admirable.
I find it so cool that you get to see bald eagles. Don’t tell the duckies I said that.
shhh, dont tell mom I told you this. Sometimes when mom is worried about predators she pees around my cage. She actually pees in a cup and sprinkles it around the permiter. She isnt sure if it really works but thats what they sell predator urine for? Why buy it when you can make your own?