Skunk............

[TheHenHen]

Hello, I have this skunk that keeps coming to my chicken run, and eating the feed at night. There is some of my chickens that don't put themselves away at night, so I have to put them away. I'm not afraid of the skunk, but I am afraid if my left out chickens might scare the skunk and it will spray my chickens. My dad has captured and let go 2 skunks, but it's hard, cause if you get to close, they may spray you. Do you think my left out chickens will be safe from the skunk?

 

[Y N dottes]

skunks dont spray unless they feel threatend, so unless ur chickens scare it(which i doubt will happen) they wont be sprayed.
However, a skunk could kill a chicken if it had the chance, so i dont know if ur chickens are safe in a run or whatever, but thats what id be more worried about

 

[chickortreat]

I disagree about skunks only spraying when they feel threatened. I've had to kill several over the past few years because they won't keep their funk to themselves. It's difficult for me to believe that they feel threatened every day for weeks on end. I shot one two weeks ago, that never sprayed, even after being shot. I walked right up to it and still could not smell it. The next day, however, another one had cut loose. I still haven't gotten a shot at the other one....but I'll be ready.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Bring in the feed at night. Lock up the chickens as you've been doing and remove the feed and anything else that a skunk would consider a food item. Hopefully, the skunk will move on when it learns that there's nothing to be gained there.

 

[TheHenHen]

mtnlaurl, Maybe that's a good idea. I'll try putting the feed away at 5 before it gets to dark. Thanks!

 

[bigoledude]

There are dozens of posts here of skunks killing chickens. There is a trap that will catch coons, possums and skunks. It will not accidentally catch cats, dogs or most anything else. the animal must have a sorta hand-like front paw and PULL UP on the trigger.

Here is a link
http://www.rpoutdoors.com/dudpcotr.html

We don't have skunks but I have caught a truckload of possums and coons with these.

Dropping off skunks into someone else's neighborhood is not very neighborly either.

 

[TheHenHen]

Dropping off skunks into someone else's neighborhood is not very neighborly either.

We live out in the country, so my dad just drove the skunks to another part of our township. He didn't bring them to someone else's neighbourhood.

My mom and I went out earlier and put all the chickens away and got their food out of the run. My dad will probably set our trap up tomorrow night when he's home.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[chefman4u2]

I had a skunk problem but didn't want to deal with the smell, so I threw rocks at him until he got far enough away not to kill him with bird shot then let him have a taste of 12Ga. in the hind end. He has never came back. I got the idea from a coon that was just to fast to kill and I loaded his rear twice and he never stepped foot on my property again.

 

[TheHenHen]

I had a skunk problem but didn't want to deal with the smell, so I threw rocks at him until he got far enough away not to kill him with bird shot then let him have a taste of 12Ga. in the hind end. He has never came back. I got the idea from a coon that was just to fast to kill and I loaded his rear twice and he never stepped foot on my property again.

Yes, that's what I did, I threw rocks at him. If he didn't run away, I'd make scary noises to scare him off.