I found a skunk in the coop!!

[jdywntr]

Something has been eating the old eggs that I leave in the nest to try to encourage broodiness for the last few days. I went out this morning and let the chickens out. Went into the coop to check on the chicks and fill the feeder up for my broody. In the middle of the nest area I see something white that does NOT look like a chicken. I hit a nest to make some noise and this thing lifts it's head and I see it's a skunk, eating an egg. I hightailed it out of there came in and got the rifle.

Since I hadn't looked into what was the best way to shoot a skunk, I figured I'd wait for it to come out since I didn't want it to spray in the coop. I threw some sticks into the coop and a few minutes later it came out. It took me a few shots, I'd been out of bed for about 10 minutes at this point and my sleep addled eye was not keeping up with my trigger finger, but I finally got it. And exactly what I was concerned with happening, happened. When it died it didn't spray but it's scent gland released. Whew, STINKY. It was still in the bird's fenced area so I got a shovel and moved it out into the pasture hoping a vulture will come take care of it shortly.

Just being in the vicintity of it made my clothes smell. I did come inside and wake my husband up to tell him (very proudly) that I'd shot a skunk. He let me know that he could tell by the smell.

Afterwards, I went in the coop to clean up any broken shells, etc. There was a piece of shell right in front of my broody so I think the skunk got some of her eggs out from under her. I was going to check what was left but she was a bit stressed so I let her be.

 

[Judy]

I've read that this mixture works a lot better than tomato juice, but haven't had a chance to try it:

1 quart hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon dish detergent

Soak the article or leave on you, the dog, etc., for 5 minutes, then rinse.

 

[bj taylor]

wow, you did great. thinking all the way. I hope your broody properly thanked you. so far, knock on wood, I haven't had anything get in the coop. they only could during the day, but you never know what you'll find.

it's hard to imagine it taking an egg out from under the broody. I bet that unnerved her.

 

[jdywntr]

wow, you did great. thinking all the way. I hope your broody properly thanked you. so far, knock on wood, I haven't had anything get in the coop. they only could during the day, but you never know what you'll find.

it's hard to imagine it taking an egg out from under the broody. I bet that unnerved her.

Thanks. I'm not 100% that it took any from under her but one of the egg shell remanants had what looked like chick size feathers stuck all over the inside of the egg. I'm going to give her some time and then check to see how many eggs are under her. She had 15 to start with.

 

[jdywntr]

I've read that this mixture works a lot better than tomato juice, but haven't had a chance to try it:

1 quart hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon dish detergent

Soak the article or leave on you, the dog, etc., for 5 minutes, then rinse.

Thanks for the recipe. I can't tell for sure if its on the clothes I had on. My muck boots did smell so I don't know if I stepped in something or not. I'll try this. I think I have everything.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yep, you did well.

I saw a skunk digging a den about 20 feet from my coop one morning, a couple of hours after daylight. Don’t believe that stuff about them only coming out at night or that any skunk you see in the daytime has rabies. They can carry rabies so be careful anytime you see any wild animal about, day or night, but they have plenty of reasons for a completely healthy skunk to be out during the day.

Anyway I shot that one and decided to leave it for a little while before I carried it off. I came back an hour later and the vultures had not only completely eaten it, starting at the rear end, but had turned the skin inside out over the head.

I’ve caught a possum in the coop just before dark. That’s one reason I like to walk in the coop before I lock them up for the night.

I’ve also seen a black snake eat eggs out from under a broody. That was really creepy. I went into the coop the middle of the afternoon and saw a 5’ long black snake wrapped around the broody. She was just sitting there. It got away before I could grab the shovel but came back later and ate four of her eggs out from under her. It came back about three days later and ate the last two. I kept some fake eggs under her but it didn’t eat those. I had some eggs in the incubator and gave them to the broody when they hatched. She raised all 15 of them.

I’m not sure what the point of this post is other than just as an excuse to say again, you did well.

 

[BillM2]

As far as possums go, though they will eat eggs, chickens, and be a nuisance, there's evidence that they eat tons of ticks which carry Lyme disease as well as a host of other debilitating diseases. Possums are very clean creatures and they don't like anything on them. Studies show where there are possums, there's lower incidence of Lyme and other tick borne diseases. It's tick larvae time so check yourself very carefully after being outdoors - don't wait. They're pin head sized and tough to see!

 

[jdywntr]

Well, I checked under my broody and of the 15 eggs she had there was only 1 left!! And TONS of shards. She had stolen the golf balls from another nest so, I gave her some more eggs to sit on.

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

I'm SO glad the skunk was only after the eggs! He could have nabbed your poor broody, I lost a few hens to skunks. I shot 47 of those little black n white monsters last summer. It must have been because of the drought that they decided chicken was on the menu. Thank God for my electric net fence to keep them at bay until I could get the shotgun. I averaged about 4 kills PER NIGHT for weeks. One night I was so fed up with them, I had my fiance call up his father and brother to come out and hunt skunks with us; we got 12 in one night! I really hope that I don't have to deal with them again this summer, the coons are bad enough.

Good for you for gettin him, I've had best luck with a 12 gauge or if you trap them (not the best plan if you can help it) leave it in the trap until day light so it's sleepy and shoot right between the eyes with a 22. Sorry but you'll pick up the stink even if you're not in close proximity. It took 3 days to get skunk smell out of my hair for close range shots

If there's one, there's usually more.

 

[scott4030]

I run several traps year around. So far this year, I have caught 11 raccoons, 7 skunks and 1 opposum. We don't get a lot of possums around here so I let him go. Everything else gets a .22 between the eyes and left out for the coyotes.... gone everytime by the next morning. I have found there is really no good way to shoot a skunk in a trap without him stinking up everything around. If you catch one in the open, a 12 guage can do this trick without a lot of smell, but I don't like to shoot up my traps so only use the .22. After many skunk encounters I have learned the very best way to rid yourself or a dog or you clothes of skunk smell is commercial de-skunker... something like Nature Miracle or a similar product.

I did not know that possums eat a lot of ticks, but that is good news. Where I live we have what seems like thousands of blue belly lizards (Western Fence Lizards officially), they are EVERYWHERE you look. Research has shown that once a lyme infected tick feeds on a blue belly it can no longer be a carrier for the disease and is rendered harmless. Nature is such a cool thing!