A Stinky Unwanted Visitor

[flockmom]

My 4+ week old chicks are living in their coop, but do not yet have outside access as the run isn't finished. I put hardware cloth over the pop door from the inside so I can leave to door up during the day so they could get used to an outside view, and be less timid about going outside when the run is finished.

Last evening I went out to check on them and close the pop door, and found all eight of them huddled in a pile under the ramp leading to the pop door. Imagine eight 4+ week old chicks crammed into one square foot! I closed the pop door and coaxed the out from under the ramp, and got them settled on the opposite side of the coop, where their roost is. Ok, I thought, all is well.

An hour later, I went out to check on them (by now it is totally dark), and could hear them screaming as I approached their coop. Inside, all was fine, but they were really upset about something. Then I caught the smell of skunk, lightly wafting on the breeze. I was mad that the skunk was scaring my chicks and was really glad I hadn't brought my German Shepherd with me, or he now doubt would have smelled the skunk and chased it, resulting in a very stinky dog!!

The coop is located inside my greenhouse, sectioned off with framing covered with hardware cloth and an door, also covered with hardware cloth, with two latches on it. I'm not worried about the skunk getting to the chicks, but I would really like to keep the stinky creature away from them, for the sake of the chicks and the dog.

Any suggestions?

 

[AHappychick]

Wow I am not sure what I would do if a skunk came along. I nguess trapping would be very tough to do with out getting sprayed. Maybe after a few nights of not getting anything to eat it will move on? Good Luck!

 

[Jeep Hound]

Live trapping a skunk isn't that hard, maybe easier then coon. Just slide the trap inside a large garbage can. When skunk is trapped, just lift trash can and all into truck and despose of critter how you see fit. Done this many times without being sprayed. If the skunk cant see you he will not spray.

 

[columbiacritter]

Skunks are great burrowers so if your coop is on the dirt floor with no hardware cloth between chicks and ground a skunk will get to them in minutes.

 

[farmgirlie1031]

One moved in under our added on porch for awhile. We played loud music inside the house in the porch room and skunk didn't care for it and moved on.

 

[flockmom]

Thanks to all for the advice! Fortunately the coop has a wooden floor so burrowing shouldn't be a problem. I like the idea of making the skunk want to leave, since it will not be inclined to return.

Since we live in a fairly rural area, I am going to try a combination of a motion sensitive floodlight, and a noise making device that is triggered at the same time the light is activated. I should have it set up tonight and I'll post the results.

Cheers!

 

[Tamrajh]

I've been having a really low egg count for quite a while. With 19 egg laying age girls when I get 2-4 eggs a day, I knew something was wrong but couldn't figure out what.
Tonight I got home really late, after dark, and went to gather the eggs. As I lifted up the nest box lid I saw the oddest looking chicken laying an egg. It turned to look at me and I saw the fluffy tail and dropped the lid. Little bugger has been eating my eggs! No wonder my egg count is so low every day!
Found two places it could be getting into the hen house at since the coop is on a dirt floor.
So now what? I don't have the money to put in a wood floor. If I fill in the holes it will just dig other holes.
How do I trap it with a live trap without trapping a chicken or goose? What do I use as bait (an egg would seem logical at this point)? Once I have it in a live trap, I put it in a garbage can, according to someone else's post, then in a truck, and go where?
I can shoot it, but what if I only hurt it and don't kill it so I have to shoot it many times to kill it, that's not humane. I could shoot and kill it if I were close, but then I'd get sprayed. The Sheriff said that shooting them makes it really stinky everywhere. Anyone else have experience with that?
I'm a city girl, I don't know how to do these country things! Chickens are my only experience with being out in the country and I've loved it but now this. I just don't know what to do.

 

[flockmom]

Quote:
Wow, I am sorry to hear about your skunk problem. I installed a motion sensitive light, and it seems to have taken care of the problem. But, since your skunk is getting into the coop by digging, I suggest you get an electric wire (pretty cheap at TSC) if you have electricity in your coop, and string it around the coop. If you don't have electricity, you are probably going to have to bury hardware cloth all the way around your coop.

Go luck, let us know how things work out.

 

[katharinad]

Music and other deterrents are only temporary with skunks. They learn. Plus they can chew trough wood if they really want it. Best is to trap them and to relocate or to kill them. We are now killing them after trapping so they cannot run away injured. It sounds rotten to kill an animal, but it is sometimes better that way. We have a rifle and finish them quickly, no suffering. Had to do the same the a raccoon, which turned out to be 5 more raccoons. Glad that our 4 dogs did not encounter them or the skunks. Had my share of cleaning up skunk stench. I've pretty good at that to the point the you do not smell it.
Katharina