Skunks

[chickenranchwife]

Well, yesterday there was a skunk in our yard. Our Little Rat Terrier Sausha chased it away. Today it returned, I set the live trap in the coop where it was and low and behold it was napping while my hubby went out to see if it went in the trap yet and killed it with a steal post. Right now he has it hanging up high on the picth fork and is going to take it down the road a ways to discard it. Thank God all my chickens are still alive. If I knew how to upload a picture of it I would. LOL

 

[Deanw]

Good job on killing the skunk. You say he killed it with a steel post how did he keep from getting sprayed?

Dean

 

[prariechiken]

Be wary of skunks wandering into your yard, esp if they show up during the day. In our area they are bad about carrying rabies.

 

[chickenranchwife]

Hey DeanW, He said that the skunk was sleeping and didn't move but a little bit when he went into the coop. He grabbed the steal post and hit it in the head. He said the skunk was really sleepy acting. We don't recommend anyone do this!

prairiechicken, we have also heard that about skunks and during the day. We are very cautious about skunks and coons, as we live real close to a prairie dog town just south of our house. The next thing I'll be looking for is snakes I know that. Thank god we didn't get sprayed.

 

[beejay86]

Funny skunk story. They were tearing up my lawn. Not after my chickens. I went out at dusk with my 22 and a flashlight. Once I spotted one, I would sneak up and take it out. Got 3 last summer. I hope they don't come back. Really took alot of time from my evenings!!!

 

[CarriBrown]

As kids, my mom would give us money to kill gophers or anything getting into the chicken feed. $5 a pop (but we had to show her a body

)! That's a lot of money to kids, and we would get at least one a day.

 

[chickorama]

Once, we found a skunk in our yard. We had nothing to trap it under, so we clapped a barbecue lid on it

. i f it ever happens again, I suggest calling animal control. The only reason we didn't that time was because it was a sunday night, everything was closed, which unfortunately included animal control.

 

[JennsPeeps]

Quote:
I can just imagine the moments after you'd caught it... "now what do we do"?!?

 

[spook]

Quote:
Dehydrated, sterilized blood that you buy at the farm store works on keeping them away. I put some out last year and even after the snow, it seemed to linger.
If you have a live trap, that will take care of him! Good luck!

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Glad you were able to get him before he got any of your birds.

Please be careful in discarding the body. Wear gloves and avoid contact with bodily fluids.

I do not know much about skunks, but I know animals that act strange or sluggish are more than likely ill or diseased. I think the odds of a man sneaking up on a healthy and lively wild animal with a steel pole are slim.

-Kim