HELP!!! I LOST MY FLOCK LAST NIGHT!!! SKUNKS???

[ncgnance]

I and my family are heartbroken. There was a terrible, really bad thunderstorm last night. My daughter found one of my two 9 week old silkie roos, drowned. The other one was brought into the house to dry out, and is ok. Then, this morning, she went out to feed our 5 cochins and 2 silkies, all grown chickens, and they were all dead or dying. They had been attacked on the heads, 2 heads gone, and left intact. The biggest roo is the only one that was not attacked. Tracie had to shoot 3 that were still alive, but beyond help. She said that the smell of skunk was on the chickens. I'm going to set a trap, and my question is what to use for bait for a skunk. I know it will be back! Any other ideas out there? I have been predator-free (other than snakes and the neigbor's dog) for almost three years, and this is really sickening for us.

 

[mrsengeseth]

I would probably use tuna fish as a bait.

 

[ruth]

I'm so sorry. It's the type of thing we all dread.

 

[tfpets]

I am sorry for your loss! This is a terrible thing for your family, I hope things get better, let us know if we can help?
Tina

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I'm sorry to hear about your chickens. It is a coincidence that I saw this post. Just last night we too had a skunk spray close to our house. Our dog was barking. The coop is less than 50 ft away. I asked my DH if skunks eat chickens. He said that they just go after the eggs. Have I been misinformed? All the chickens are doing fine. Nothing got to them. So.....are skunks chicken eaters or egg eaters? Does anyone out there know for sure?
K

 

[ncgnance]

Thank you all for caring and advice. I have been trying to start my cochin and silkie breeder stock, and my chickens were beautiful. We hatched and raised them all, and I'm so sorry my daughter and granddaughter had to go through this. We've decided to wait until next year, build a new coop, and try again. We still have a silkie and a cochin roo left, both very lonesome right now. We still have our laying hens and, and, of course, Pimp Daddy. And if we can catch the perpetrator, we won't have to worry about him again!!

 

[speckledhen]

Henry, they may go after the eggs, but they will also eat chickens. However, it's possible that a raccoon got them and the skunk was there as well. I've looked outside and seen critters messing around in the same area at night.

So sorry for your tragedy.

 

[ncgnance]

Henry, I read up on all the predators, and skunks do eat eggs and chickens, usually chicks, but I am going on the fact that the smell was on the chickens and in the coop. I am surprised that it, or they, killed so many at one time. We have coons, too, but I've never seen one close to the house.

 

[speckledhen]

You may not see them, but I can promise, they're there. I will often go out on the deck quietly and flash a spotlight into the woods. Eyes everywhere!

 

[matchbxgurl]

Quote:
That was definitely a raccoon that killed your chickens!! a skunk may have just been in the area at the right time also! Raccoons are NOTORIOUS for biting off heads and killing like as many chickens as possible in one sitting.. they never eat more than a couple, and usually they take their meal with them somewhere else and leavea bunch of headless chickens lying around.. skunk would definitely not have done that..