Remove Chickens Temporarily to Deter Lizard?

[MasAhora]

We have goanna type lizards that come into the chicken coop furthest from the house where are dogs spend little time and steal our eggs. In the past these lizards have got very, very bold and aggressive when I've accidentally cornered them.
I was wondering if relocating my hens for a couple of weeks and leaving an empty coop might make the new visiting lizard move on? He/she shed skin in my coop during a very wet week... it's getting too comfortable

(My coops are open and the hens free range at will, we don't have a huge predator problem just an egg thief problem!!!)w

 

[Matejka]

Hmmmm, i dont know much about egg eating lizards but....
Would fake eggs or golf balls work?
Here in USA if I have a snake eating eggs, I'll put fake eggs or golf balls in nest, snake eats that, can't digest it, can't throw it up, crawls off and dies or can't fit body back through hole it entered so it's trapped in coop, for me to dispose of. Yes, I do kill it, that's more humane than turning it loose to die.

 

[MasAhora]

Hmmmm, i dont know much about egg eating lizards but....
Would fake eggs or golf balls work?
Here in USA if I have a snake eating eggs, I'll put fake eggs or golf balls in nest, snake eats that, can't digest it, can't throw it up, crawls off and dies or can't fit body back through hole it entered so it's trapped in coop, for me to dispose of. Yes, I do kill it, that's more humane than turning it loose to die.

I am trying to avoid killing it, we've had to before because it simply got too risky with aggression when I was collecting our hens eggs. I doubt golf balls will work because they break the egg and lick the contents. Often I will see the lizard and then a broken egg in the coop with the shell left behind. Tricky little reptilians!!!!

 

[BelovedBirds]

Hmmmm, i dont know much about egg eating lizards but....
Would fake eggs or golf balls work?
Here in USA if I have a snake eating eggs, I'll put fake eggs or golf balls in nest, snake eats that, can't digest it, can't throw it up, crawls off and dies or can't fit body back through hole it entered so it's trapped in coop, for me to dispose of. Yes, I do kill it, that's more humane than turning it loose to die.

thats pretty inhumane.

 

[BelovedBirds]

I am trying to avoid killing it, we've had to before because it simply got too risky with aggression when I was collecting our hens eggs. I doubt golf balls will work because they break the egg and lick the contents. Often I will see the lizard and then a broken egg in the coop with the shell left behind. Tricky little reptilians!!!!

Is there any way to reinforce the coop, so that the lizards cant get in?
Where would you move the hens to? I think relocating the hens could be an option, certainly worth trying. But I wouldnt be supervised if the lizards came back. Are they protected? Would it be possible to live trap and relocate, or are there too many of them?

 

[Matejka]

So it doesn't swallow egg, it breaks and eats egg.
Ok
Few questions,
Are the lizards migratory-just passing through or permanent?
How big are the lizards?
How aggressive?

 

[MasAhora]

So it doesn't swallow egg, it breaks and eats egg.
Ok
Few questions,
Are the lizards migratory-just passing through or permanent?
How big are the lizards?
How aggressive?

They ae generally harmless unless cornered then they freak and have very sharp nails/talons...ouch. But they also get very defiant/confident especially when breeding.
My hens are in a "house" coop that is open with minimal fencing, they free range as much as they want. The lizards do linger and grow quite large, I really hate harming them.... one thought I had from another thread was locking the hens in their house a few days with an electric wire/fence hooked up around the coop/house....

 

[MasAhora]

Is there any way to reinforce the coop, so that the lizards cant get in?
Where would you move the hens to? I think relocating the hens could be an option, certainly worth trying. But I wouldnt be supervised if the lizards came back. Are they protected? Would it be possible to live trap and relocate, or are there too many of them?

About them returning, yes I'm thinking that to. I've the idea to close the hens in the coop house 2 days and wrap a hot wire around the coop/house. Then let the hens out and repeat.... maybe the lizard will visit and get a shock or two then go somewhere else for food without being harmed.

 

[featherpickingfool]

how about filling egg with hot pepper or such?

 

[Cold-Blood]

They ae generally harmless unless cornered then they freak and have very sharp nails/talons...ouch. But they also get very defiant/confident especially when breeding.
My hens are in a "house" coop that is open with minimal fencing, they free range as much as they want. The lizards do linger and grow quite large, I really hate harming them.... one thought I had from another thread was locking the hens in their house a few days with an electric wire/fence hooked up around the coop/house....

Are they monitor lizards?