Chickens on the porch and a badger in the yard! HELP!

[robinwiththechickens]

Just looked out the window to check on my free ranging chickens and saw a badger right there in the driveway! It looked like a juvenile, which is even more disturbing...where is the momma!?!

My girls have been hanging out on the porch all afternoon, unwilling to leave the step without my supervision. Tonight will only be their third night out in their coop; they are only 6-weeks old.

What should I do? How do you get rid of a badger?

 

[Mahonri]

A little late now unless you have them but I'd set a trap... that or get a good shot off.

Be certain your coop is predator proof.

With all of the days I've spent up on the Rim over the years, I've never seen a badger, but I've heard of them.

 

[robinwiththechickens]

We had an adult badger hanging around our place a couple years ago...saw it almost daily for about a month, but haven't seen it again since. I thought all I'd really have to worry with was coyotes.

Our coop is directly adjacent to our front porch and is located right under my bedroom window. I’m not too confident in it being “predator proof” as hubby is trying to do this chicken-raising thing on the cheap.

I guess he’ll have to shoot the thing…they aren’t endangered or something are they?

 

[Spitman]

I would not leave my 6week olds out free ranging un attended . To small they will make lunch for a hawk, or just about anything looking for a easy meal. If you have varmet ,you will lose chicks . Just sayin

 

[robinwiththechickens]

I know they shouldn't be unattended...it was a very, very stupid mistake, just came in to use the bathroom. It's the same thing parents say when their child is kidnapped out of the front yard or something.

I quickly rebuilt their indoor pen under my kitchen table and they will be staying in until hubby does some serious upgrades to the coop...He agreed whole-heartedly that they needed to be made.

They are safe inside the house for the next few days...now the challenge is keeping the cat inside so that it doesn't become badger food.

 

[ColbyNTX]

Shoot it!

 

[Komaki]

Quote:
X2

 

[bobbi-j]

I'm pretty sure the badger won't eat your cat. My guess is that it's passing through. We have them here, but in the 29 years I've lived here, I've only seen 3 of them. I think they're usually nocturnal or living underground. They go after our pocket gophers. If it was a juvenile, could be that momma decided it was time for it to be on its own and it was looking for a new home. Or, I don't know about where you live, but here the culverts and ditches are all flooded and they're being washed out of their homes.

 

[WillieBoy]

I've never seen or dealt with a badger, except on TV, you wanna be careful dealing with one of those critters...! They can be extremely dangerous and ugly,when cornered or threated, even more so wounded.If it keeps hanging around, it's best to rid of that critter, IMO....

 

[daver]

Quote:
X2

x3