danceswithronin
Crowing
This dray of squirrels that lives in the backyard next to mine has figured out that broadcast scratch = free food, and has begun systematically breaking into my run Mission Impossible style to get eats. I have the top of my run netted over as well as all sides of it, but there is netting cut around the trunk of two pear trees in the run to allow them to come through, and it is through these cuts (down the trunk) that the squirrels are getting in. I'll get pics tonight if I can to show my setup.
I wouldn't mind it so much except I don't like their dirty feet touching my hens' food because of biosecurity, they get the hens all riled up when they're in there (which in turn riles the dogs and makes me have to go out there to see what they're barking at). I'm also afraid the squirrels are going to start getting bolder since they totally ransacked a feed bin I forgot to close the lid down on tightly the other day. These squirrels are getting physically fat off my grain, the one watching me from the fence yesterday looked as round as a fuzzy gray melon.
The last straw was Saturday night, one of the squirrels pulled back some loose netting on the top of the larger half of the run to get at THAT side where I had just put down a bunch of treats and grain right before twilight, and my Polish pullet flew loose through the gap they left trying to roost and got killed by my dogs. So this is becoming an untenable situation for me. I loved that bird and it was my dad's favorite. I also found out yesterday they are tearing a hole in the side of the house too.
Any suggestions or trap recommendations? I don't mind using deadly traps as long as there is minimal or no risk to my birds, Lord knows there is no shortage of squirrels in my neighborhood so it won't miss one or three. I also have the option of laying the traps in the larger run (which is under construction/unnetted right now) and keeping the chickens confined in the other half of it for now. I don't want to use poison at all. I do have an air gun and I am considering using it.
I wouldn't mind it so much except I don't like their dirty feet touching my hens' food because of biosecurity, they get the hens all riled up when they're in there (which in turn riles the dogs and makes me have to go out there to see what they're barking at). I'm also afraid the squirrels are going to start getting bolder since they totally ransacked a feed bin I forgot to close the lid down on tightly the other day. These squirrels are getting physically fat off my grain, the one watching me from the fence yesterday looked as round as a fuzzy gray melon.
The last straw was Saturday night, one of the squirrels pulled back some loose netting on the top of the larger half of the run to get at THAT side where I had just put down a bunch of treats and grain right before twilight, and my Polish pullet flew loose through the gap they left trying to roost and got killed by my dogs. So this is becoming an untenable situation for me. I loved that bird and it was my dad's favorite. I also found out yesterday they are tearing a hole in the side of the house too.
Any suggestions or trap recommendations? I don't mind using deadly traps as long as there is minimal or no risk to my birds, Lord knows there is no shortage of squirrels in my neighborhood so it won't miss one or three. I also have the option of laying the traps in the larger run (which is under construction/unnetted right now) and keeping the chickens confined in the other half of it for now. I don't want to use poison at all. I do have an air gun and I am considering using it.