Squirrels - A nuisance but are they a danger?

[Shamo Hybrid]

There are squirrels here that would go inside the run and eat the feed right in front of my chickens. The thing is, my chickens don't even pay them any attention at all..... right in the run with them running around and such. My concern is, can these squirrels carry diseases that my chickens can be in danger of contracting? I'm also thinking about getting a pellet gun and dispatching them because they are in the feeders every day just gorging themselves on my dime, do you think it would be just if I do indeed get rid of them? Personally, I don't want to kill them (or any animals for that matter) unless absolutely necessary.

 

[Ebony Rose]

Squirrel is fine dining. Mighty fine dining. Tastes like chicken thighs. Recommend you soak them in milk overnight before cooking to pull some of the gamey-taste. At least you know what they've been eating!
If you cannot bring yourself to eat them, perhaps you have dogs that would enjoy them. Or cats. Or you could put them into a rice cooker (with rice) and after cooked & cooled your chickens would love the high protein meal.
Only bad thing I can think about with squirrels vs chickens, is that squirrels will steal eggs... other than that, I dunno.

 

[Steven Bussell]

How about making it so they can't get in...
Maybe the next unwanted guess will do some harm

 

[cmom]

I shoot the gray squirrels. We also have fox squirrels but they don't bother anything. They can introduce pests like mites and lice.

 

[Gray Farms]

If you don't want to kill them they can also be live trapped are relocated. Though more will likely come.

 

[SarahGfa]

I thought you have shamos. Don't they attack squirrels?

 

[cmom]

Some Gray squirrels ate the windshield washer tubing on hubby's truck under the hood. What a pain that was to replace. They also ate the cable TV wire out on the pole next to our driveway and the other end on the pole at the street. The cable company had to come and replace it. Apparently the cable people who replaced the wire said it is fairly common because the wire is made with something the squirrels like.

 

[ColtHandorf]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/squirrel-killed-chicks.1316531/

 

[grayjay11o]

squirrels can carry lice and mites.

 

[igorsMistress]

I would make it so they can't get in the run. If you shoot/relocate more will take their place.