There's been a skunk or two lurking around the chicken coops for a few weeks, eating all of our eggs, and now, as of last night, we think it got two of our chickens. We've been leaving lights on in the coops at night to try and deter it but seemingly enough that isn't working. My neighbor tried fox urine, no update yet on if it works, and my other neighbor traps them and shoots them, he says there's no good way to get them out of the trap. I'd like to avoid killing them, but if that's the only way, so be it. Thanks in advance, Maddie
I don't bother trying to capture them. I've killed nearly a dozen in the last several years. I've got another one wandering around now. His smell wakes me up in the middle of the night. We enjoy sleeping with the windows open, and a skunk puts a serious dent in a good night's sleep. I haven't been able to catch him out yet, but I will. It's just a matter of time.
There's really only two ways you can deal with a skunk that has already found out where dinner is: skunk proof the coop completely or kill the skunk. That skunk I'd suggest killing it because it's already a repeat visitor and if you proof the coop, it will just really try hard to get in for weeks. Digging and poking all round, making a big mess. The coop has shown it is not skunk proof, it would be best to go ahead and proof it because it's much easier to deter a skunk *before* it has found food inside the coop. There WILL be more skunks... probably already more than one bothering your coops right now. If you have coops and don't kill that skunk, you will need to proof ALL of them. Chicken or hardware cloth on ground and up the sides completely all around the coops is essential in putting off skunks. At least two feet out on ground and up. If the door is on wood frame, will have to make sure it is firm- does not flex or budge when closed. Skunks are amazingly good about squeezing through small spaces.
I've been having a skunk problem the last week also. I wondered why my egg production was down, then it killed 2 of my hens. Its my fault really, I've been leaving my coop open at night. My pen is very tight, and we never get skunks up here, but with all the fires this year I think it has been driven into an area it wouldn't normally go. I have set a live trap for it, and would like to take it far,far away and set it loose, but, as said before, no good way to open the trap, so how do you kill it in the trap, I'm not a good shot. I'm not even sure how to move the trap once its caught without getting sprayed.
