Girl trouble... wait, make that Squirrel trouble!!!

[Terri O]

I am thinking that those squirrels know where to go for SOMETHING to eat. (and they probably feel safe in there--no coyotes!) I also think that they might like something ELSE better. Is there any way that you could set up a regular squirrel feeder somewhere away from your coop but still safe from their predators? My squirrels like whole peanuts and corn up on a platform. Since wherever there are woods you have squirrels, seems a shame to tell them they cant live there. I have never seen one anywhere near the chicken coop...they'd rather have the peanuts! Terri

 

[carrlr]

I hate tree rats (squirrels). They can totally clean out the green tomatoes in my garden. I orginally started catching them in a hav-a-heart, but ended up shooting them (.177 cal pellet gun) as my dispatch method. Decided the bait trap might actually be attracting them, so I took out the middle and now I just shoot them. My wife thinks I'm nuts when I come home, grab the gun, and head out back. Sometimes I'm lazy and shoot them from the window. Best time to get them is in the Spring before trees leaf out. A side benefit is that dead tree rats can't have more tree rats.

 

[Tala]

They put hot pepper in some bird feeds to make it squirrel resistant --- birds can't taste the "heat" but squirrels can. Maybe you can put hot pepper flakes in your chicken food? It won't hurt the birds, some people use it supposedly to encourage laying (not sure if it works for that, I think it's an old wives tale)

 

[carrlr]

Quote:
I put hot pepper (jalapeno and cheyene) on my tomatoe plants to discouage squirrels. Actually made the tomotoes hot, but didn't stop the squirrels. Human hair is suppose to work if placed around items you want to keep them out of. You could try one of those life-like (with movable head) Owls.

 

[babyblue]

squirrels are tasty. catch and eat or donate to someone else. the economy sucks and trust me somebody will eat it.

 

[treeclimber233]

It is illegal to trap and relocate most animals. Relocate being the important word. Using corn for bait is very effective for squirrels. If possible can you feed your chickens 2-3 times a day only the amount they can clean up. That way you can keep your chickens full without leaving food out all the time for the squirrels.

 

[patman75]

Can you secure the coop with hardware cloth or additonal chicken wire to keep the squirrels out?

Or

Set up a bait pile with peanuts. Squirrels love peanuts. Place the pile in a nice close so you get a good clean shooting lane. Soon they will be going only eating the peanuts and you can pick them off one at a time.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Set up a bait pile with peanuts. Squirrels love peanuts. Place the pile in a nice close so you get a good clean shooting lane. Soon they will be going only eating the peanuts and you can pick them off one at a time.

That's a good idea... I'll have to set up a bait pile.


I just asked bf to get the pellet gun rifle out and get it set up so I can use it. I live out in the boonies and I swear we probably have close to a hundred squirrels living around here and I just can't afford to feed them too!​