Three nights ago I saw a fresh hole under my coop while mowing the yard. A year or so ago I had a skunk peel back the hardware cloth I have screwed to the bottom and get under the coop so I assumed the same had happened again. I set a trap three nights ago and caught a skunk. I hauled it off but did not cover the hole because I wasn't sure if there was wnother skunk or not so I set the trap again. That night nothing in the trap buy I had 6 dead hens, mostly with their heads and necks chewed off. It looked to me like a weasle. I had to work 17 hours yesterday and didn't get home until midnight and this morning there was 4 more dead, same injuries, heads and neck a chewed up. I think that a weasel was able to get in via the hole under the coop from the skunk. For years I have always had an open pop door because nothing has gotten into the run. I know skunks will kill hens but I don't think they would climb up or have a way to get them off the roost, plus there was no skunk smell in the coop and I figure if there was a scuffle in there it would have sprayed at some point. Would skunks attack hens over night like I described or does that sound like a weasel to you?
This afternoon I go out to try to see what was going on and shined a light under the coop and could see a skunk. I went into the run and secured the area along the bottom with welded wire an drew treated 4x8's. As I was filling in the area in the run I noticed a skunk walking across my yard in the daylight so I assume I flushed it out. I took care of that skunk and set a trap near the original hole to make sure there is nothing else under there. I also sealed the pop door off tonight until I can make sure there are no knew holes and I have it sealed off again. I also swear I saw a brown egg under the coop where the skunk was. Is it possible a skunk could have gotten an egg from the coop to under the coop without breaking it? Time will tell if I have it sealed up properly and hopefully all the skunks are out.
This afternoon I go out to try to see what was going on and shined a light under the coop and could see a skunk. I went into the run and secured the area along the bottom with welded wire an drew treated 4x8's. As I was filling in the area in the run I noticed a skunk walking across my yard in the daylight so I assume I flushed it out. I took care of that skunk and set a trap near the original hole to make sure there is nothing else under there. I also sealed the pop door off tonight until I can make sure there are no knew holes and I have it sealed off again. I also swear I saw a brown egg under the coop where the skunk was. Is it possible a skunk could have gotten an egg from the coop to under the coop without breaking it? Time will tell if I have it sealed up properly and hopefully all the skunks are out.