Help! There is a skunk in my coop now!

[UluLaté]

It’s after your chickens. Shoot it. It will just keep
coming back, tear up you’re fencing dig under the coop and wiggle through....and most importantly kill your chickens. It has identified your coop as the neighborhood McDonald’s...quick and easy food stop.

If that seems too tough, trap it...then shoot it. Don’t risk getting rabies.

 

[Pgrine]

Sorry about that skunk... This may help get the smell off of you

 

[UluLaté]

I agree with @Folly's place , I once did battle with a possum. It involved a kitchen knife, a 2 X 4, and a lot of rolling in chicken poop.

lol! Great visual!

 

[56 Forest Ridge]

I went out to close the door on my coop, there was a skunk drinking out of the water dish! My girls are up on their roost. I brought the old blind girl in. She's in the basement in my hospital coop for now. How can I get him out of the coop ? It smells awful in there. I feel so sorry for my girls. I left the door open, thinking maybe he will just leave? I threw a 4'x4' at him, that's when he sprayed.
There have been reports of coyotes in the area. I hate to leave it open, but, that's how he got in. My hens were out free ranging and I leave the door open until it's their bedtime. How can I get him out? Will he hurt my girls?

 

[UluLaté]

How did you avoid getting sprayed? With them in the trap? What did you do with them? Kill them or take them some place?

My husband has a lot of experience dealing with skunks. He said he’s tried everything, but shooting a skunk ian the only way to
deal with it.

 

[56 Forest Ridge]

I went out to close the door on my coop, there was a skunk drinking out of the water dish! My girls are up on their roost. I brought the old blind girl in. She's in the basement in my hospital coop for now. How can I get him out of the coop ? It smells awful in there. I feel so sorry for my girls. I left the door open, thinking maybe he will just leave? I threw a 4'x4' at him, that's when he sprayed.
There have been reports of coyotes in the area. I hate to leave it open, but, that's how he got in. My hens were out free ranging and I leave the door open until it's their bedtime. How can I get him out? Will he hurt my girls?

I would think it would not want to be there for very long? Is it still there?

 

[George3240]

I went out to close the door on my coop, there was a skunk drinking out of the water dish! My girls are up on their roost. I brought the old blind girl in. She's in the basement in my hospital coop for now. How can I get him out of the coop ? It smells awful in there. I feel so sorry for my girls. I left the door open, thinking maybe he will just leave? I threw a 4'x4' at him, that's when he sprayed.
There have been reports of coyotes in the area. I hate to leave it open, but, that's how he got in. My hens were out free ranging and I leave the door open until it's their bedtime. How can I get him out? Will he hurt my girls?

Live trap and cat food. You can place an old blanket over it or I actually wrap mine in a cheap blue tarp. Make sure it doesn’t interfere with the traps mechanism. When you catch him he won’t spray you if he can’t see you. At least that’s the theory and I have trapped several dozen and have never been sprayed. I release mine at a local politicians house but that part is up to you.

 

[ReliezFarm]

I just moved to a new house and set my birds up in a temporary run. I locked them in the coop at night, but I noticed every morning there were holes where a predator was trying to dig under the coop. I put my live trap out where I thought they were walking and before I knew it I had 7 skunks in a row one after another. I didn't even need any bait I just set the trap on their path and just about every night I would catch one. I put the trap in a ideal location so I could shoot the animal without getting sprayed. Since I live in the city I can't use a my 22 but I have a high powered pellet gun that works. The trick is to kill them with one shot so they don't spray. It took some practice because the frontal lobe is much too hard for penetration, it merely knocks them a little silly. You need to shoot into the cranial cavity in the temple or from the back of the head. Then death is quite instantaneous.
I should mention that your marksmanship here is critical, so practice with a Target at the distance you are shooting, plus I use a 4X scope. And yes the skunks will kill chickens besides eating their eggs

 

[abraga]

Set a trap with either tuna or fish canned cat food in it.

 

[LisaVMN13]

once he's gone... for the smell:
Mix together:

• 1 quart of 3-percent hydrogen peroxide (available at any pharmacy)
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1 teaspoon liquid dishwashing soap

Also... though not in a coop... we’ve kept a skunk from returning under our porch by placing a very fragrant bar of soap underneath... apparently their sensitive noses find perfumed soaps repulsive?

This is the formula that they gave us in our Virginia Master Naturalist class. Didn't know about the soap, great advice!