Skunk around the Coop

[PolkaDot77]

Hi all, We are having some predator problems lately. Tonight I heard the hens making alarming noises, so I ran out and immediately smelled a skunk. I made lots of noise so as to not sneak up on him and get myself sprayed. Eventually I saw him in some bushes near the coop and he trotted along. My question is, do you think he was trying to get in the coop? I know skunks will go after eggs and maybe even baby chicks, but will they get in and cause harm to the hens themselves? Or do you think he was just looking around in the area and that caused to girls to freak out when they heard him?

This is all after a crazy last week, when we spent a week with stressed out hens barely sleeping a wink while he were having a fox problem. A red fox was trying to dig into the coop and we set a trap and were finally able to catch him after 4 long nights of him coming around and keeping the chickens on edge. Now that he's gone, I'm afraid the skunk has moved in. We live in a quiet neighborhood, but still right in a city, and have never had any predator problems before except the occasional dog barking at the run trying to get in.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

what did you do with the fox? i never seen one up close and i live in the country. someone on here traped a skunk and then didnt know what to do with it. it was pretty funny. i think they found a neighbor with a gun after a couple days.lol

 

[aart]

Yes, he was trying to get in, skunks will go after eggs and maybe chicks.
You could trap the skunk too, they are often fairly docile when trapped...but covering the trap with a blanket or tarp is a good idea just in case.
Hopefully you are permanently eliminating these predators, or they will just be back.

 

[Mahlzeit]

Chickens in the dark are sitting targets for any predators they can't see very well at all. I could definitely see a skunk killing adult birds and now that he knows they are there he will be coming back. Your best bet would be to trap and kill it.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

A skunk is a deadly predator of chickens. Sitting hens or hens with baby chicks to hover or keep warm on the ground at night are especially vulnerable to skunks. The skunk is a member of the weasel family along with martins, fishers, otters, and minks.

 

[PolkaDot77]

Thanks for your replies! Since I live in a city I will have to call a licensed commercial trapper to get another trap out here. Luckily, I am in touch with one from last week's fox. As to what he did with the fox; I imagine he is probably going to become a coat or something. The chickens coop is lighted right now with a heat lamp as it has been negative temperatures at night. Hopefully I can get the skunk trapped in a couple days. The poor girls have been on edge for over a week now with one predator or another investigating the coop. They are safe as I have the wire dug into the ground and placed cinder blocks around the spots the fox had started to dig at. I just feel badly that they see or hear the predators and all freak out.

 

[abbaschickens]

Skunks will take chickens and walk away. When I was a chicken newbie, I didn't have a closing door. The skunk walked in several nights walked up the ramp picked off dinner. Caught 5 minutes after setting the live animal trap in the door way. Skunk went to skunky heaven. Sad learning curve but much better coop today.

 

[PolkaDot77]

Thanks for the advice guys! We have a trap set but haven't seen it in the are lately. The chicken wire is dug into the ground, though, so hopefully even if it comes around no chickens will be taken.