It was still bright last night when one slithered over the Churchyard wall and down into the Ukrainian village, an attack from the village side of the field.
Another rarity.
In my experience badgers are much more dangerous than foxes.
They are more common than foxes
They are stronger than foxes
And unlike foxes, you can't get away with blasting them to kingdom come with a 12 bore shotgun.
I caught the badger after it had tried to attack two elderly and retired hens safe in their own caged run.
Several mouthfuls of feathers had been pulled through the bars but the two OAPs luckily remained unscathed .
It slinked away up and over the dry stone wall like a ghost only to return sometime in the night, when it somehow managed to get through the roof of Ukrainian house number 6, killing the last three " crackhead whores" sheltering inside.
House number six has been a safe haven on the field for the past 7 years
It took its time, as there wasn't a body to be seen by morning. Just small clumps of bloody feathers.
Working again tonight.... This one in one off shift pattern is a killer
the shocks of nature we love it, we can hate it, but we can not tame it, it can be heart breaking but leave us in wonder at the same time
ReplyDeleteOh no, I'm sorry to hear that...
ReplyDeletePoor old cluckers. I hope the darn thing doesn't come back.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear this John, there's not much you can do to protect your hens from a Badger, they have a strength and a determination that more that far outdoes any fox ... and like you say you can't just blast them away.
ReplyDeleteIf you need to borrow a really secure run, we have an Eglu with run that is currently vacant, it would hold four normal sized hens or around six bantams.
Thanks sue
DeleteI have reinforced the coops this morning
What really worries me is the fact he was there in the light
John, life can be disenchanting at times. I didn't like Tommy Brock either. Bastard.
ReplyDeleteTo put a better spin on it, though not comforting: At least SOMEONE got fed. As to the crack whores: Destiny will be met.
Looking forward to the joys of this Sunday afternoon. And I haven't even checked my lottery numbers yet.
Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter greetings,
U
And life goes on....as it ought to.
ReplyDeleteAnd people still think they're cute! Tell that to the farmers who watch their cattle stricken and dying from the terrible bovine disease they (the badgers) inflict.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the carp shifts - if it's any consolation, I'm back to work Tuesday and dreading it every bit as much. x
I can remember my grandfather going after a badger that was after his aged hunting dog, one of the only times I ever saw my grandfather mad. I think a 12 gauge was involved.
ReplyDeleteThey are protected in the uk....and cannot be touched
DeleteIt's even rarer to see a beaver in daylight, in my experience.
ReplyDeleteI saw a beaver once
DeleteThough I couldn't be quite sure what it was
It was very dark at the time
I was going to make a bad-taste joke about 'Cock', but I think Rachel has spoilt my pitch.
DeleteSometimes it's hard to be a woman.... (derdle erdle der...)
The cock joke was in the previous post.
DeletePossibly a high-powered air rifle would fix matters, then hang the offending carcass in a nearby tree. Occasionally one needs to be cruel to be kind!
ReplyDelete'High-powered air-rifle' my arse. 'Cruel to be kind', my arse as well. If you are going to shoot the things, then do it properly, and know exactly what you are doing before you try. It takes experience.
DeleteI repeat; a good high-powered air rifle will do the job, but they are expensive!
DeleteJust sick! Hate to hear it....blast him by any means possible!
ReplyDeleteIt's not fucking sick, it's country life - grow up.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteTom Stephenson - that's rather a rude and harsh comment to make, if you don't mind me saying so. Perhaps confine your remarks to your own blog and followers?
DeleteI'm kind of with Tom on this one...a) circle of life b) you can't go around killing things because they cause a disruption to your human lifestyle - predation is never very pretty but all creatures need to eat and are driven by their own need for survival. I think only humans and perhaps a few of their very close relatives kill for fun. I'm also fairly sure that John wouldn't have an issue with Tom having an opinion... he's pretty pragmatic you know :)
DeleteI will think of you when you are working tonight. I will dedicate my football commentary to you.
ReplyDeleteBadgers are bad news.
'Badgers are bad news' my arse as well - farmers are bad news too, but badgers don't produce food for us - they're almost inedible.
DeleteYou know all about badgers do you, my arse?
DeleteAre you thinking it might be rabid because of its bold and unusual behavior? That would be a big deal here and the health department would attempt to trap it.
ReplyDeleteLuckily no rabies here in the uk Joanne......
DeleteI suspect he was just very hungry and very young.
I'll send a wolf over...should do the trick.
ReplyDeleteJane x
I shan't alert Brian May to this posting - at least not for the moment.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the remaining stock could stay in your room...kidding.
See you later! and I was on last night! arghh! xxx Sue
ReplyDeleteI was on duty Friday Aarrrrrrrrthhhhhhhhhhhjjjjjj
DeleteHow many of your followers do you know "for real?"
DeleteWondering...
A few Susie x
DeleteSounds like Al Quaida is training animals now (real animals, not just lower forms of human life).
ReplyDeletenot so nice...
DeleteI ran over one once in the woods, it ran out in front of the truck on a one lane dirt road. I got out to see if it was alive, it chased me back into the truck and left in a huff.
ReplyDeleteNature is beautiful and cruel, both. I am sorry about your hens. Yet the badgers must eat also. Why are they protected - were the numbers dwindling?
ReplyDeleteStrange this post is totally unrelated to what I was searching yahoo for, but it was listed on the first page. I guess your doing something right if yahoo likes you enough to put you on the first page of a non related search...Cccam Server
ReplyDeleteIt happens. It needs to happen - and it makes my heart hurt.
ReplyDeleteJohn, the one on and one off shifts are inhumane in my mind. Your body just can't adapt. Out here in California, we got all exited when a wolverine appeared after a hundred year absence. I hope your reinforced coop does the trick. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI caught a fox with my bare hands once which impressed the hell out of my Father in Law but I would hate to try that with a badger. Mind you, with hindsight I am never going to try it again with a fox.
ReplyDeleteI am sure the law allows you to defend your livestock so, if you catch it in the act, you could get away with shooting it. A 12 bore loaded with SG would tear a badger in half not that I could, for one minute, imagine you doing it!
Wow you've opened a can of worms judging by the comments ! I love how Sue lives near enough to lend you an Eglu.
ReplyDeletesorry the last of the crackhead Whores have gone x
I'm also sorry to read that the CWs met their demise.
ReplyDeleteI have a totally unrealistic image of badgers I think. I didn't know they killed chooks! When I was a young kid in Kent we had a badger set in the woods next to my house I was bewitched by them. Sorry about the crack heads, I liked hearing about them but I have to say nature is as nature does.
ReplyDeleteJo in Auckland, NZ