How can I save my chickens from skunks?

[chickengeorgeto]

I never claimed that the domestic hare or rabbet that the Red Tail hawk was after is anything more than hawk food. However we former Colonist will gladly ship all the wolves to the UK that you can say grace over. And then let you in the old sod reap the "unchaining, unsuspected, cascade of benefits, for the forest" that a
never-ending supply of large K9 predators will provide.

 

[pvaldes]

In Europe there are around 6500 car accidents each year caused by wild ungulates. In USA, deer caused 1.23 million of car accidents only in 2012.

Being conservative we can assume that thousands of americans and europeans die each year and many other suffer serious health consequences because a stupid deer or seven ink-black wild boar decided to cross a black road in a pitch black night.

The number of american and european citizens directly killed by wolves or killed after crashing against wolves in the same year, would range typically between zero and... I don't know, maybe ten people?, five?

You can bet that the controlled return to lynx and maybe wolves to Scotland would save several human lifes each year.

On the other hand, do you know what thing wolves hate with passion and chase off their territories? Coyotes. The coyote population collapses when there are wolves around. There is a rule in ecology that one large carnivore equals to several smaller carnivores (needs bigger territories)

And do you know what other thing coyotes love, and will happily eat if can grab it?
I'll give you some clues: It has feathers and make a clucking noise.

 

[sbhkma]

A few years ago I posted some pics of my setup. I have a solar fencer and when I lock my gals up at night, the electric fence gate gets closed and the fencer gets turned on. In almost 7 years I have never had anything get in my coop. I have latches with carbiners on them as an added precaution. The thing with the perimeter fence is, predators smell the chickens and come upon the location. What do they do first? Sniff around. Zap. Note: be prepared for a horrific smell of skunk, as they thankfully are not facing their butts to the coop, but their noses. Which means they're spraying out in your yard. And they WILL spray when they're zapped. We deal with it every single spring.
My post:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/55-dead-chicks.928849/page-2#post-14184913

 

[Bonniebooboo]

Make sure your coop and run are secure, and keep your bird in for a while. Then, trap and shoot!
Walking forward to the trap with a tarp or old blanket in front of you, and then draping it over the trap, keeps you unsprayed. Then, take it away from buildings and carefully remove a corner of the tarp, to get a clean shot, and bury it there. Wear gloves! Or, wrap it.
If Animal Control will help, that's great. Or a pest control company, for $$$.
Also, don't have food or water of any sort outside your safe coop and run. Any food will attract critters you don't want in your yard!
Getting saliva from a skunk on your hands, with any tiny wound, isn't good. Wear gloves! This includes handling your dead birds out there! Rabies is a very real risk.
Mary

A very good Idea with a good tarp to throw over cage, keep between you and it, wear a mask if you have one. We have tied a rope to one end of the live trap so we could pull it without getting to close. Yes they can spray and it stinks but didn't get on us. Didn't have a tarp at the time.