Skunk eating eggs and digging under coop

[NicInNC]

We have skunks all over our neighborhood. My dogs were going nuts one night when I let them out, so I went outside to see what they were barking at. I saw something walking around outside of the chicken coop, got close to it and realized it was a baby skunk. I freaked out at first and ran away, but then I got mad. I ended up chasing that skunk with a long pole. It didn't act scared of me at all. I was lucky it didn't spray. I've seen several others snooping around the coop at night.

The past few weeks, there have been several times I've forgotten to collect the eggs and I will wake up to the chickens carrying on, go out there and there will be eggs broken all over inside the coop with the horrible smell of skunk in the air. Today I went out and one of the cement edging blocks I have all around the bottom of the coop was moved away and something had dug underneath the coop. I tried to look but the space is only a few inches and I couldn't see anything. Tonight I went out since I know they're nocturnal and I figured maybe it would be moving around. I didn't see anything, but there was another tunnel dug out from another side where we had rocks all piled up and when I shined the flashlight under the coop, there are eggshells everywhere under there!!!

I called Animal Control to ask about a trap, but they said if I trap it, I have to kill it. I could never bring myself to do that. I was thinking more along the lines of catching it, having the scent glands removed and having a new pet. LOL!!! That's illegal in my state though.

Any suggestions besides having to kill it? I'm surprised it hasn't killed my silkie being as she sleeps in the nesting box, although when I just went out a few minutes ago, she was on the roost. I have NEVER known her to roost. Maybe she senses the unwelcome visitor.

 

[Kev]

sigh. skunks are a constant battle here, swear there's a conveyor belt direct from a skunk-Costco(bulk supply store..) to my yard.

the only thing that really helps with digging is laying down wire. get a roll, put up some of the wire directly on the side of the coop and lay rest of the wire either just a little bit under ground or let grass/weeds grow over it. or if you use gravel/sand around the coop, you can lay down the wire then place sand/gravel over it. do the entire perimeter, once they know there's yummies to be had inside, they can become impossible to deter, short of killing.

hardware cloth is best, but if it's too expensive chicken wire will do. best to use 2 foot high at least, so you will be able to put some of it up on the sides and have enough on the ground as some skunks will try digging around.. if the wire doesn't extend very far from the side, those diggers will eventually find the wire edge and just dig under it.

I tried laying down wire with none of it going up side of the coop, it worked on most skunks but some figured out to find a 'weak spot' and then pull/stretch it up at the wall... re-doing it like above put a stop to these.

the biggest challenge is if they are entering through the door, you will have to work out something so they cannot find a way to squeeze through- and believe me they are VERY GOOD at squeezing through gaps that seem too small for them.