In New Hampshire, one of the biggest pest problems is skunks.  They tend to roam around, digging up gardens and harassing people and pets.  So, I have dealt with my fair share of the little buggers.

In the cities, the skunks are definitely worse.  My dad lives in one of the cities of New Hampshire, and at his house, the skunks are more obvious and populous than anywhere else I’ve been.  They just wander into yards, eating grubs and trash, while occasionally spraying things.

Our biggest problem is the fact that they love to live under our shed.  The skunks would build a nest under it, so in order to block or trap them, we used chicken wire to block off all but one way out, and placed a Havahart Skunk Trap there.  The skunk woke that night and stumbled into the trap, so the next day we just carried him off to a new home.  The next year, a mother moved in but was hit by a car two days later.  So, we assumed all was fine, but the yard still smelled every night.  We looked around and learned she had babies under our shed.  So, using the same technique we trapped all four babies, one at a time.

In the smaller town in which my mom lives, we have similar problems.  Often, I can look outside at night and see a skunk sitting in the middle of our yard.  They tend to burrow for grubs or, occasionally, nose around our chicken coop.  One afternoon a skunk ambled into our yard. This was very odd, because skunks are nocturnal, so we thought it was rabid, and we couldn’t see it well enough to tell.  The skunk went over and managed to slip into the coop.  The chickens began to freak out, thinking, ‘Who are you and what  do you want?!’  Fearing it would hurt them, my step-dad grabbed a .22 caliber small game hunting rifle and leveled it at the skunk but couldn’t fire because the girls were jumping in the line of fire.  Fortunately, the skunk left.

Skunks will harass you, but by taking some measures, you can fend them off.

I have now had Gonzo (my New Caledonian Crested Gecko) for more than a year. I’ve found caring for him is a little tricky (sometimes!), so I’ve made a care sheet for new owners of Crested Geckos.

Listed below are some of what I consider important elements of care for Crested Geckos:

1. Housing: Because Crested Geckos are so versatile and hardy, they can be kept in a number of different types of enclosures.  First, a single adult Crestie needs a tank of at least twenty gallons.  It is better if the tank is longer than tall, as Cresties are arboreal.  If you choose (or have) to go longer than tall, make sure to use plenty of climbing materials.  Hatchlings to four month old crested geckos can be housed in 10 gallon aquariums or similar plastic keepers. In some cases, young geckos housed in large cages will not eat well. To avoid that I recommend that geckos less than 12 weeks old be housed in cages no larger than a 10 gallon aquarium. Four month old to adult crested geckos should be housed in a 20 gallon tall aquarium or larger.  As for bedding, paper towels work, but natural bedding like coco bedding, eco-earth, and others are better.  Provide sturdy logs or other materials for climbing, as the lizard can be heavy.  Also, broad leaf plants are loved by Cresties.  I use a Zoo Med “Repti Reservoir” for water, but small dishes work.
2. Feeding:  Cresties will consume a wide variety of foods, as they are omnivores.  Gonzo is fed ten crickets once a week and fresh fruit every two to three nights.  The easiest and most convenient method of feeding Crested Geckos is to use the powdered Crested Gecko Diet developed by Allen Repashy. On his website it states, “The Repashy Superfoods MRP’s are intended to be used as a complete diet without the need for additional supplementation.”  Also, cresties can be fed baby food, wax worms, and meal worms.  As for fruit, Gonzo likes watermelon, cantaloupe, and peach best.
3. Health:  Find a good herp vet.

So, are you ready to take on, care, and love for a cute, little Crested Gecko?  With this sheet, you should be saying yes!

Come thy little doggy, so I can spayeth thee.

Did you know that more than three million cats and dogs are euthanized every year?  That’s right, three million a year! This can be prevented by spaying or neutering your cat or dog to prevent her from having offspring that may roam the street or other life circumstances that will cause her to be euthanized.  Also, spaying or neutering will prevent the animal from developing prostate, testicular, or ovarian cancer.

Now, you may say that the animal will suffer from discomfort.  Well, that’s true, the animal is having his/her testicles and scrotum or ovaries removed.  But the relatively short period of discomfort is worth avoiding the long periods of pain followed by death from testicular, prostate, or ovarian cancer.

Also, it has been claimed dogs will become overweight and lazy from neutering or spaying.  That is not true.  Over-feeding and lack of exercise causes dogs to gain weight and be lazy.  In some cases a thyroid problem or genetics is to blame, but the neuter surgery is not to blame for a fat dog or cat.

Having a pet spayed or neutered is best between the ages of four and six months.  This is important because animals may have kids sooner than expected.  If you decide to breed your dog or cat, consider neutering or spaying later (after you are through breeding), by doing so your pet will not be able to develop testicular or ovarian cancer.

The procedure is preformed under general anesthesia.  The stay may be several hours to several days, depending on the pet.  After a while, the pet will return to get the stitches removed.  The procedure is a one-time cost that is relatively small when you consider the benefits.  For pets living in homes with limited income, reduced cost procedures may be available.  Also, some places may hold free or very low cost clinics for people with lower incomes.

Also, rabbits can be spayed or neutered, which is helpful because they breed very rapidly.  Spaying or neutering rabbits can reduce hormone-driven behavior, such as lunging, mounting, spraying and boxing.

Spaying and neutering are very important and can save the lives of  millions of animals a year.

A few minutes ago, literally, I was watching a deer ramble through my backyard.  In New Hampshire, the deer is on the pinnacle of our very interesting, and diverse, wildlife.

Our yard has a variety of features that attract the local animal populace.  First off, we have a good-sized yard (one or more acres). We live along a river, so the back end of our yard meets the river.  The other feature is that we have a mini-farm of fifteen chickens (to read about their latest antics/cuteness, read Spring Is Here) that tend to attract many unwanted guests.

We have many guests due to the first two features (yard size, river, etc…).  For example, that deer was probably ambling up from the river.  More than once we have had random animals run through our yard.  Once, my mom was reading on the back deck, and a coyote sprinted through the yard without a glance, stopped, and ran to the river.  We believe that the coyote dens are down there.  Also, because of our yard size, we will have flocks of up to twenty turkeys fly though or land in our yard throughout the spring, summer, and fall.  Last summer, some beavers who lived in dams in our river or in offshooting streams, entered our yard and chewed down a nice line of trees marking our property and providing privacy in a few, quick nights.  We also have a very large chipmunk, squirrel, and raccoon population.  Finally, we have occasional visits from deer and other large animals.

The chickens also have a habit of attracting unwarranted guests.  Once, last summer a fox broke in and killed one chickens and had another in its jaws when my parents scared it off (the jaw-trapped chicken lived).  Just today, we also had the neighbor’s dog in the yard, who was amused with them, but not aggressive.  Finally, a variety of other animals (small children included) enter and are highly interested in the chickens.

So, no matter how diverse some yards may be, if I might say so, we have an incredibly diverse yard!

So, you’ve determined that you’re mature, responsible, and caring enough to have a pet. Now, the next question is where is the best place to find a pet?

If you want a low-maintenance pet, such as a fish, bird, rodent, or lizard, the local pet store is your best bet. Not all stores are created equally, though. You may want to look around to find out which stores care for their animals best. Avoid pet stores that look run-down and dirty. Chances are the animals they keep aren’t healthy. Look for a well-lit pet store that with a knowledgeable staff that takes good care of the animals.

Meanwhile, if you want to adopt a dog or cat, consider looking into pet adoption fairs, a shelter, or a humane society. There are many reasons why you should consider adopting a pet from foster care, rescue, or shelter. Among these are:

•    You may be saving the animal’s life

•    You’re helping the organization make room for more animals in need

•    You’re helping with the worldwide problem of pet homelessness

•    It’s more affordable to adopt a dog from shelters

•    The shelter staff knows the personality of their animals so you can ask their advice on which pet would be the perfect match for you

•    Rescued dogs know that they’ve been rescued, they are more loyal as a result

You also can ask local reputable breeders to sell one of their puppies to you. Pet stores also sell cute puppies. Unfortunately, if you look deeply enough you will realize that though these puppies look cute and healthy, they actually came from “puppy farms”. Puppy farms are owned by breeders who don’t care about the living conditions of animals. Their aim is simply to breed as many dogs as fast as possible for profit. Ask your pet store where they source their dogs and try to find out if the breeder has a good reputation before you buy.

Yesterday was a beautiful June day with highs in the upper 80s and passing clouds. The forecast for the evening called for cloudy skies and lows in the 50s. With this good forecast it seemed the appropriate time to have the chicks become full-time outdoor birds.

Besides the change in weather, returning the chicks to their two indoor bins had become more difficult. First, there would be the chase to capture all eighteen. Plus, every night there was a new combination of birds in each pen, which caused a few “chick fights”.

So, as the sun started to set last night, my twelve year old and I headed to the outdoor pen to introduce the girls to their coop. (Although, they can access the coop via a ramp during the day, they are more content to peck and walk around the pen during the day.) Having a few nights’ experience of rounding up the chicks, we knew it could be a messy, timely process.

Initially it was easy, as the 18 chicks tended to huddle, allowing either of us to grab one or two chicks. However, as the numbers dwindled, it became more difficult to grab the last few. As always, they tried to hide under their pen and flap their wings frantically. Being much bigger than they are, we were careful to grab them gently, so as not to hurt them.

All told it was a five minute process. However, when in the midst of peeking under the coop, boxing them into corners, and avoiding running into your chasing partner, it seemed much longer.

Once placed in their coop with the door secured, the chicks chirped quietly.  None of them seemed too upset.  After a quiet night alone, the chicks were released from their coop by my ten year old, twelve year old, and me. A few chicks pushed their way to the front, running down the ramp to freedom. Within a couple minutes, even the slowest stragglers had emerged and began eagerly eating, drinking, and pecking at the ground. The first night in their own home was a success!

Here are some photos of their first morning processional into the bin from their coop:

The feeding frenzy after the night in the coop:

As a mom of four, I am used to the demands, worries, and joys of parenting. The after-work hours revolve around the needs of the kids: softball games, track meets, playdates, etc. Unbeknownst to me, the addition of our chicks would make me the mother of 22!

Having these 18 fluffy, then feathered, babies in our lives has multiplied my mom concerns. Did they still need their heat lamp? Would there be enough food in each bin while we were at work for the day?

In the past five weeks, I have watched my eighteen babies grow from downy infants to fully feathered medium-sized chicks. Growing as they have, they eat much more now, which means much dirtier and crowded bins. With nice weather here, day and night, I have decided it is time to relocate the chicks.

Saturday afternoon was their trial run. With a cloudless sky and temperatures in the low 80s, I placed them in their outdoor pen for several hours. They were content to peck and relax outside. Of course, being a mom, I couldn’t let them just stay out overnight. They needed to transition slowly, so they returned indoors for the night.

However, by Monday, I was ready to move my babies closer to their outdoor world. They spent a good part of the afternoon outside until a fierce thunderstorm arrived. I couldn’t let the 18 chicks spend their first night in their coop listening to rain hammering on the roof and thunder shaking the walls. So, as an intermediate step, I placed their bins in the garage.

And so, the weather pattern has continued. Nice days with chicks outside and rainy nights with chicks in the garage. The living room is silent as I work here in the evening, which reminds me of parenting children. You relish the quiet moments alone but wonder what they are doing while they are away.

Miracle Girl

A Blonde

The 18 chicks have been with us for 12 days now and are full-fledged family members. (For you observant readers, yes, it says 18 chicks. A certain husband-to-be was persuaded to take the last 2 chicks at the farm store when he stopped to get more feed!) Everyone checks on the chicks upon arriving home and waking in the morning. Before heading to bed at night, the chicks are on the list of creatures to whom good night wishes are sent.

The chicks are eating and drinking machines. They need refills of both throughout the day. Plus, these cute little girls require fairly regular cleanings of their current home. In addition to caring for their physical needs, I have been keeping an eye on their development. Like being a step ahead and putting up gates when your baby learns to crawl, so must it be done with the chicks. Now that they are testing their wings, I have put some wire on top of the bin to avoid having chicks escape.

The chicks seem to be more used to our household. People entering the room or turning on the television doesn’t startle the chicks. While they are uncertain about being watched closely, a few brave chicks will eat food out of your hand.

At the rate the chicks are growing and developing feathers, they will be outside in about 3 weeks. Luckily, their coop has been roofed, and the fence around the pen is almost complete. An afternoon of painting by the kids, and the outdoor home will be ready for our girls.

Though we eagerly are anticipating eggs, it will be a little sad to see them head outside. These chicks are like the babies of our house. As it is calming to watch a newborn rest, there is something very peaceful in watching the 18 chicks sleep. We will have to enjoy their chick-hood while it is here.

The photo speaks for itself: