My Own Personal Caddyshack ... or how do I rid my chicken run of vermin?

[DawnKD]

I'm glad I didn't offend you!

Jeez Leweeze!! Bears!! I saw you were in California and I had in mind some members of the weasel family using the gopher tunnels to infiltrate your pens/runs/coop But bears?

.

Yes bears!!!! We are against the foothills and black bears frequent our yard from spring to late fall - it used to be a path to/from our neighbor's pool where they would take a dip in the summer, and then go down the drive to knock over our trash can ... until i got a bear-proof trash can and chickens. Suddenly the mama decided fresh chicken was waaaaay tastier than scraps from last night's dinner. Neighbors get them often if they have avocado trees .... even California bears love California avocados! LOL

I haven't seen weasels - yet. Its the raccoons and coyote that I worry could tunnel.

 

[DawnKD]

Shove a wad of coarse steel wool, or a poofy metal pot scrubber, down each hole.
Set small live traps or rat snap traps outside of run.....you could set snap traps under a milk crate to keep pets away.
You'll have to keep it up for a long time probably.

Why are they going in there, are you leaving food out, have eggs been eaten?

@aart , no eggs are being eaten. But I am wondering if its going for chicken feed that falls on the ground, or going in for water? I have a hanging feeder so the last two night I coiled the rope and had it hanging 6+ feet off the ground; and then last night, I dumped out the water and capped it (its one of those big 5 gallon things) -- this morning there was only ONE hole and it was a covered with loose soil. (if its going for feed, then maybe I have a crafty ground squirrel or a rat instead of some gopher?)

 

[aart]

Quote: It's really hard to say what it is without trapping or game cam...some rodents will use holes dug by others.
Feed and/or water could indeed be the only target.

Little holes in the ground are nothing compared to bears...need HOT wire for those, Yikes!

 

[DawnKD]

@aart , we attached pool fencing on top of the hardware cloth surrounding the run (and the roof) and covering the windows of the coop. Hot wire is coming this summer!

Already had one bear visit two weeks ago - two big muddy paw prints on the coop door (where i have two latches WITH carabiners), a nose impression on the window screen and flustered chickens that morning. He (she?) sat on our hillside that morning .... just watching.

 

[aart]

Man, that would scare the poop outta me!!!

 

[DawnKD]

Hahahahahaha, I just make sure its not a mama with a cub (those get a blast with the marine air horn and plenty of time to move along) and maybe let our Weimaraner out to chase it off our property.

 

[bigoledude]

I used to watch a show of people who live in remote country. This one old guy (Ibelieve in Montana) put plywood with nails driven from the bottom to keep bears from his doors and windows. He claimed that not one bear ever circumvented this very simple and crude technique!!

Found blood tracks leaving the area but, never any damage to the doors and windows protected by the nails.

 

[DawnKD]

Eeeek, @bigoledude , grizzlies are scary - I would pack and move. "Our" black bears don't try to come inside - we've seen them wander right past the screen slider in the summer.