Skunks!!!

[PouleNoire]

There was a skunk by the chicken coop yesterday!

It did not hurt the chickens, we think it is going after the eggs. There is only one. There is a small gap underneath the coop and we are boarding that up as well as putting some wire underneath the ground if it tries to dig underneath. Any other suggestions on how to protect the chickens from the skunk?

 

[Folly's place]

Take a very close look at your coop and run, and make any upgrades needed. A solid foundation, or lots of hardware cloth, and no openings bigger than 1/2 " anywhere. Also tamper proof latches, and don't feed anything outside of the coop and run. Midnight snacks attract critters too. Raccoons, weasels, foxes, opossums, and dogs will all turn up sometime, and some folks have bears! Your skunk will return if there's anything out there for him, so be ready. Trap and shoot helps with persistent visitors, but don't trap if you won't shoot! Mary

 

[flyin-lowe]

An old friend of mine taught me to trap skunks. Once they are in the live trap slowly walk up on them with a blanket in hand. I hold the blanket in front of me blocking most of my body. Slowly cover the trap and then just pick it up. Skunks won't spray randomly and if they can't see you they won't spray you. He has been doing this for years and I started this year. So far no sprays. He takes them out to a field and once they walk away from the trap about 20 yards he shoots them.

I was surprised how calm they stay in the trap. Even after I open the trap sometimes it takes a few minutes for them to come out. They usually just leisurely walk away. They don't out and take off like most wild animals. Youtube has many videos showing skunks can be trapped.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

An old friend of mine taught me to trap skunks. Once they are in the live trap slowly walk up on them with a blanket in hand. I hold the blanket in front of me blocking most of my body. Slowly cover the trap and then just pick it up. Skunks won't spray randomly and if they can't see you they won't spray you. He has been doing this for years and I started this year. So far no sprays. He takes them out to a field and once they walk away from the trap about 20 yards he shoots them.

I was surprised how calm they stay in the trap. Even after I open the trap sometimes it takes a few minutes for them to come out. They usually just leisurely walk away. They don't out and take off like most wild animals. Youtube has many videos showing skunks can be trapped.

At this time of year skunks are giving birth. A good deterrent is to find the skunks den and destroy the den and all inside.

 

[2oldnow]

Several years ago I had a silkie setting on a nest of eggs to hatch. I noticed that each day there was another egg gone. There was skunk tracks in the soft dirt floor. A skunk was coming into the hen house and picking out an egg from under hen each night. The culprit was trapped in a wire live trap just next to his entry hole. With a small rope attached to the trap, I slowly pulled it away and shot the skunk. My wire trap was constructed so if rolled over 180 degrees the door drops open allowing the critter to walk out.

 

[cmbookworm]

Ugh! They are crafty little buggers. We just now figured out we have skunks outside out coop at night. They are reaching in and turning the PVC feeders and using their grubby paws to pig out on my expensive organic feed. I thought the birds were just overeating and pushing the feeders to the side. Nope. So we bought traps- county animal control says they'll relocate any other critters besides skunks. They'll euthanize the skunks and send for testing because of the near 100% rabies positive rate in our county. This morning the bait was cleaned out, feeders turned and no skunks trapped. We'll reposition the bait tonight and hope for better luck. We're going to attach more hardware cloth to the lower part of the run today- just to deter reaching paws. Nothing has been able to get IN the coop or run. I guess why would they bother when they have an easy meal? Sigh.

 

[wamtazlady]

House sitter just told we have a skunk. Apparently one of my "wild" pullets has decided to lay in the old shed. The skunk goes in there to eat the egg. House sitter caught the pullet and clipped her wings, hopefully to keep her safe inside the electric poultry netting where all the other girls stay. Hate clipping her wings but also hate her providing food for predators. Trap is up, baited with an egg, waiting for Mr. or Ms. Skunk.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Skunks come for food whether chicken feed, eggs, chickens or your garbage. A dig proof apron around the run stops them. I use 2x4" welded wire laid flat on ground or under sod for 18-24 inches out from run wall. Once they don't get anything to eat they move on to where they do. Your neighbors garbage. They are never far in suburbia and most neighborhoods feed them well.

They may be egg and feed eaters now but do grow. Those small ones will kill young birds. Full grown skunk are afraid of nothing. Excellent diggers and will take out a bird at a time to feed if you don't have a dig proof apron. Easily take on and kill 10+ lbs cock bird.

 

[PouleNoire]

We did end up putting hardware cloth a few feet under the ground and then laying it flat, we also put bricks around it. The skunk has not come back now for a while now.