Oh Shoot , racoon and now a skunk :-(

[LisPrissy]

We have recently, 2mths ago, started raising chickens. Now, after 13yrs of living in our house, we are under attack by racoons and now tonight a SKUNK!
HELP, WHAT DO I DO??

 

[sumi]

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles. Unfortunately chickens are attractive to predators, especially as they are an easy, confined prey. There are some articles here on raccoons and skunks with links to relevant forum threads:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/13/predators-and-pests

The best defence would be reenforcing the coop, training and keeping a livestock guardian dog around and/or trapping the critters, if allowed in your state/area. Best of luck!

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Sounds like you have a problem. Look for sign of more than one raccoon, this time of year you could have a family unit hitting your coop.

Go over your coop and make it as solid as possible to keep the raccoons from gaining entrance.

Once raccoons find a nice food source they will return each night until the food source is gone, it's the nature of that particular beast.

I'd stay away from Havahart Traps, I had a huge boar raccoon push out of a Havahart Trap. It ruined the trap, every animal I caught in that trap after that was able to push out. Havahart Traps are unreliable.

Get a good solid cage trap like the one pictured, no raccoon can push out of this design, and they'll still be there when you check the set in the morning.

Keep us posted....

 

[LisPrissy]

We have caught one HUGE coon. Now still worried about the skunk as it was right next to my house. Ugh. Got the trap set again tonight. See what's lurking :-(

 

[Folly's place]

Having a predator proof chicken coop and run is most important, and making sure that your birds are locked in every night. Only feed in the coop and enclosed run, never around the yard. Keeping your birds safe, and not offering tasty treats for night prowlers, will help a great deal. NO FOOD OUTSIDE!!! Then a couple of live traps to eliminate persistent visitors. Don't trap if you won't shoot! Relocating 'varmits' is illegal, and bad for them, and bad for other chicken keepers. Mary

 

[Rock Home Isle]

We have caught one HUGE coon. Now still worried about the skunk as it was right next to my house. Ugh. Got the trap set again tonight. See what's lurking :-(

Congratulations...that is awesome news. There is a great sense of accomplishment in protecting your flock from predators.

Now you've made a catch, there will be a lot of scent at the catch site. That will prove very acctractive to other predators that come into your area. You'll have Mr. Skunk in short order.

In case I didn't say it enough, that is great news.

 

[LisPrissy]

...

Having a predator proof chicken coop and run is most important, and making sure that your birds are locked in every night.  Only feed in the coop and enclosed run, never around the yard.  Keeping your birds safe, and not offering tasty treats for night prowlers, will help a great deal.  NO FOOD OUTSIDE!!!  Then a couple of live traps to eliminate persistent visitors.  Don't trap if you won't shoot!   Relocating 'varmits' is illegal, and bad for them, and bad for other chicken keepers.  Mary

We have now been locking them in their coop at night just in case something gets in the run, it can't get to them.I did "dispose" of the coon, I don't want him to be someone else's problem ;-) caught an opossum last night also.

 

[LisPrissy]

Congratulations...that is awesome news. There is a great sense of accomplishment in protecting your flock from predators.

Now you've made a catch, there will be a lot of scent at the catch site. That will prove very acctractive to other predators that come into your area. You'll have Mr. Skunk in short order.

In case I didn't say it enough, that is great news.

 

[LisPrissy]

No skunk yet but we did get an opossum last night. Fingers crossed to catch that darn skunk!!!!!

 

[Rock Home Isle]

No skunk yet but we did get an opossum last night. Fingers crossed to catch that darn skunk!!!!!

Just keep nibbling away at it. Every catch is a problem solved. You are being proactive, taking care of things before they are a problem.

If the flock is attacked, and birds killed...thats a reactive position.

Great hearing of your successes.

If not too much of a problem, consider setting out 2 traps...takes care of the problem twice as fast. Just sayin....