Sunday, August 3, 2014

No easy answer

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Today we lost a duck--Mac. For a few weeks, we've known that there is a momma raccoon with three little babies living in the backyard, but today tragedy struck. The two ducks were let out into their bath and forgot about. I took Kindra's brother to the gym to her mom could do things around the house. I got back just when Kindra was getting home from work.

As I came in and sat down on the couch, I heard a yell from Kindra. At first, I couldn't tell if it was excitement or fear. Further cries established that it was sadness. I ran outside to find her with one of the two ducks, clutching her tightly in her arms. The other, she told me between sobs, had been killed by the momma raccoon.

Kindra went inside and got a gun. She waited for the raccoons to show themselves but when the little heads appeared above the fence. She turned around, put the gun away, and left the house.

This is not an easy thing to deal with. The chickens and ducks are pets, not just livestock. I think I would have reacted exactly the same.

But now I wonder, what should be done? Should we put extra barriers on the coop and leave the raccoons as they are? Should we relocate the raccoons? Should we exterminate them? None of these options are good because no matter what we do, we've already lost a duck--a favorite duck.

This is not a happy day for us. Only time will tell what we decide.

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