Chipmunks???

[JustAChickenLittle&More]

I have found 5 of my chickens dead the last two days. I am wondering if it could be chipmunks, or chipmunk babies. I noticed last spring, we had a lot of baby chipmunks going through the blocks by the driveway. I can't see a raccoon leaving all the juiciness in the pens. Yes, the chickens were still in the pens. ?) Somebody, give me a take on chipmunks and chickens...and a good way to deter them or keep them away if you know. Thanks

 

[Miss Lydia]

I just can't imagine chipmunks killing chickens, do you have pictures of the carnege? alot of folks on here could probably tell you right off if they actually say what the dead chickens looked like if no pictures maybe a detailed description. and so sorry for your loss. What breed where your chickens?

 

[Ema]

hmm, me neither...its hard to say without pics or a good description of the wounds. I have chipmunks in my barn too and they avoid going in the coop because the chickens chase them and try to peck them so they just clean up the seed spilled around the bins and leave they come back looking for more seed/feed the next day...lol....

 

[bluere11e]

I can't see chipmunks doing any damage other than stealing grain and chewing on things..Please put up pics. It sounds to me to be either weasels,skunks, or rats..or a particularly small racoon

 

[dianaross77]

Chipmunks are omnivores, but I can't see them taking down a chicken. They do however eat eggs and are apparently aggressive nest robbers.

 

[CMV]

Chipmunks are a pain in the neck and steal eggs regularly, but are not at all aggressive. I think it highly unlikely that they are responsible for your chicken deaths.

I had a major rodent problem this past summer, with chipmunks being the vast majority of that problem. I used rat snap traps set under milk crates to deal with them. Be warned that they are very suspicious of unfamiliar things, so they can be tough to catch. I would have to leave traps out undisturbed for at least 5 days before a chipmunk would venture in to check them out. The traps were frequently cleaned out once and needed to be re-baited before they were effective. Once a trap gets something or gets sprung without catching anything I would have to move it to a new location because the trap at that site would be avoided by the chipmunks. Once I figured out how the chipmunks worked I ended up catching several of them. It stopped a big part of my rodent problems.

Good luck.