Groundhog and vultures

[Mistizoom]

We are building a coop and run for our 4 week old chicks. We have an abandoned shed on our property which is fairly close the where the run will be. A groundhog lives under the shed and he usually keeps to himself, but he has gotten up on our deck a couple times and he occasionally runs around the yard. He doesn't seem to dig up the yard so I'm not too worried about him, but his presence seems to have attracted a couple of turkey vultures to our yard. They come and hang out in the tree above the shed and/or on the ground close to the shed a few days a week. This is all close to where the run will be. Normally vultures eat carrion so I'm not sure why they seem to want to hang out in our yard. We also have plenty of hawks and eagles, which I know we have to be cautious about, but should we also worry about the vultures? The hawks and eagles don't hang around (at the moment anyway) so the vulture behavior seems more concerning.

 

[sloanbychoice]

I have heard some people say that turkey vultures killed their chickens. I think it’s more rare, because they do prefer carrion, but it does happen. They’ll take opportunity if they’re hungry.

 

[Mtnboomer]

Groundhogs are a nuisance. Not only for their destructive capabilities, but their holes are inviting to many other critters that you may find less desirable. Snakes, skunks, opossums, and even foxes can take up residence in them.
If it were me, I would eliminate him.

As for the vultures, although they prefer carrion and the free meal, it would not surprise me to hear them go after small game like rodents and chickens if the opportunity presented itself. If you also have hawks and eagles, covering the top of your run with poultry wire will suffice.

 

[Mistizoom]

Groundhogs are a nuisance. Not only for their destructive capabilities, but their holes are inviting to many other critters that you may find less desirable. Snakes, skunks, opossums, and even foxes can take up residence in them.
If it were me, I would eliminate him.

As for the vultures, although they prefer carrion and the free meal, it would not surprise me to hear them go after small game like rodents and chickens if the opportunity presented itself. If you also have hawks and eagles, covering the top of your run with poultry wire will suffice.

Thanks, we are definitely going to make the top of the run very sturdy so it should be able to hold the weight of a large bird and keep them out (hopefully).

I'll discuss with my husband elimiating the groundhog. He says he was going to start setting out traps soon, anyway. We do have all the other critters you listed as well, and I think he figures they will be more drawn to our yard when the chickens are out.

 

[CatsandCrops]

I would absolutely get rid of the groundhog - we live in the woods and the groundhogs do more damage than anything else around here. As mentioned above, we had a fox move into a groundhog hole that we didn't find/close off in time.