chicken tracks...and other critter tracks as well!

I love the tracks in the snow made by my chickens. It really is the cutest thing ever.


The chickens do seem a little bored with the ground covered in snow.



It takes them a while to decide if they even want to come out of the coop at all.



Before the snow came, they would be at the door, sqwakin' and bawkin' trying to get out. I could barely get the door off the coop and they would be squirming their way through. But now...well, it's cold, and there's no worms, or mosquitoes, or green grass to munch on.



When I look out into the yard, I find them just standing there and staring. Normally they are on a never ending pecking session...all day long.



I am finding many other animal tracks in the snow near the chicken coop and in the field. I am no expert at identifying animal tracks in the snow, but I have made some educated guesses here. I believe these tracks belong to bunny rabbits. They hop and when they land, they have all four feet close together. Also, the rear tracks are longer than the front paws.




These tracks look like they belong to deer. We always have deer in our field. The tracks are large and solid like that of a hoof. Also, the positioning of the alternating foot prints and length of space in between the prints. I can't imagine it to be any other animal.




This track, I cannot identify. It may a squirrel. The snow is a little deeper here, so I'm thinking the tracks would not be very identifiable. The tracks are small and almost like little slits in the snow. What else could it be?




At first, I thought these were raccoon tracks, but at second glance, I really thought them to be squirrel tracks. They are all around the coop and I know the squirrels like to pilfer the chicken feed. But, looking again, I think they are much too big for a squirrel. My husband said they belong to a ground hog. We definately have groung hogs around here!






Finally, these last tracks, they are either a red fox, which we know for sure frequents our neighborhood and has been spotted in our field. Notice how there are 2 paw prints very close to each other for each imprint..almost overlapping. It makes me wonder if a fox was pouncing along, pushing off with the two hind feet close together and then landing on two front paws close together. But then again, they look small enough to be a kitty cat...maybe she was running...I don't know. I am perplexed. What do you think? I love these tracks..I am so curious!