Racoons vs Chickens

[Mortblanc]

Well, it has been a wild few days around here. I am suddenly overwhelmed with critters. Perhaps have been for sie time and was unaware of it.

I have killed a half dozen raccoons and as of this morning 3 possums.

Several of the raccoons got away to die in the woods due to the necessity of using a lowly .22 for their nocturnal visits. I did recover a couple and got all the possums.

SHTF implications?

1. I did not lose any chickens. The birds are laying steadily and giving me 2 dozen eggs each week. (I can live for a long tie on 3 eggs daily and a can of veggies from the stores)

2. Every critter I killed is eatable. Dressed out weight on the possums and two coons would be about 5-7 kilos of fresh meat.

3. Half of this meat could have been harvested using nothing but a stout stick, tennis racquet or cricket bat. (We Americans would use a baseball bat of course) I finally succumbed to lack of sleep and began setting snares. They have been very effective.

4. I never had to leave my little half acre of heaven on a foraging expedition. The only expenditure of calories was in walking down and picking up the carcasses, collecting the eggs and throwing the hens a few scraps of food. (so much for us old crippled up folks dyeing in the first weeks of crisis)

The implications here are that the hens serve as both food production and as BAIT for predators that will provide even more calorie intake. The smell of that hen house is irresistible to any scrounger in the area.

While in my area I am dealing with raccoons and possums you folks in GB might wish to accumulate a good spice palate and gather recipes for stray cat and dog and the occasional wharf rat!

Man shall not live by bunnies alone.