When I found Cocoa devouring a large rabbit a couple days ago I was mildly surprised. Not surprised that she would eat one if she caught it, but surprised that she could catch one at all. The dogs love to chase rabbits but the rabbits are much wilier and faster than they are--they have only ever managed to catch a baby rabbit once last summer, and never an adult rabbit.
But when we found Cocoa eating rabbits head-first three days in a row, we knew there was no way she had caught them. The fact that the rabbits were beheaded was the clue--our great horned owls must be back! Last summer we lost a couple dozen chickens to the owl, who only consumed the heads. It is a bit gruesome, but next summer our garden will probably fare better for the owls having reduced the rabbit population a bit, and if Cocoa is munching on the carcasses, at least they are not going to waste and leaving evidence of rabbit murders all over the farm.
Yep, late last night when I went out to close the barn door I could hear the owl hooting.
2 comments:
that's not entirely true. nutmeg did catch that one adult rabbit that sara made into a stew.
Oh yes. Well, maybe it was a juvenile rabbit - pretty darn small, but bigger than a baby.
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