Squirrels stealing chicken feed

[HomesteaderMel]

I have been noticing that my chicken feed has been disappearing lately- I thought the girls were just eating more. But, my daughter told me that she found about five squirrels in our coop while the girls were out free-ranging! I looked up different threads on squirrels, but nobody posted a good way of keeping them out of the coop (except trapping, and we have hundreds of the little critters on our property!). Does anyone have any advice? I don't mind losing a bit of feed, but we're talking DOUBLE what my chicks usually eat! I don't want to coop up my hens- they enjoy being free to range. Really, they complain when I coop them up

Help!

 

[Momma on a Mission]

I have the same problem, however, I have learned to shoot a .22 rifle and have taken out 4 squirrels. I have a neighbor that skins them so I give them to him when I do kill them.

 

[HomesteaderMel]

My son has an airsoft gun that shoots plastic bb's- do you think if he hit enough of them they would learn their lesson?? I'd shoot them myself, but I need to learn how to skin 'em... I ate squirrel as a kid, but you need lots of them to make a good meal

Right now, I'm willing to try anything!

 

[cybercat 2]

I don't know if this applies to your situation, but my birds free-range too, and I feed them twice a day- a little in the morning and more in the afternoon to top off those full crops! I do overshoot the amount of feed from time to time, but I feed outdoors and a wild flock of free-loading pigeons cleans up any leftover. You might be able to keep the squirrels from eating so much that way.

 

[al6517]

If you aren't willing to protect them from the squirels eating their feed, better get some bigger storage bins for the extra feed. Squirels can carry all sorts of things that can harm your birds and now they are in the coop hangin out and sittin on the chickens sofa eating their grub telling chicken jokes & livin large. They carry flea's and mites, and a host of other things you don't want your chickens to get. If the squirels can get in it's only a matter of time before the coon's & possums and other undesirable's decide the coop is the new club in town. I would also love to range mine as you can but I can't, they are too valuable and the critters love stalking my coop's already.

Letting them out personaly and closing the door and then letting them back in at night may be your only option. But after these squirles know where the gravy train is they may get angry and force their way in.

 

[Aria]

We have camera in our barn and we an watch through our TV set. We noticed a mouse was visiting and eating.

My husband set a small live cage trap and caught it. We actually caught two. He used peanut butter for bait. Probably would work with squirrel too.

 

[al6517]

With hundreds of them as the OP say's trapping may be a very long task, plus what is she going to do with them afterwards, dead or alive. ????

 

[<3 N.C Chicken Chick <3]

let them free range, and wait for the squirrels ounce their in the coop. Close it or go inside, and block their exit, then catch them, after you have the squirrels relocate them.

 

[al6517]

<3 N.C Chicken Chick <3 :

let them free range, and wait for the squirrels ounce their in the coop. Close it or go inside, and block their exit, then catch them, after you have the squirrels relocate them.

have you ever tried to catch several squirels enclosed in a small space before. I wouldn't suggest that and run the risk of putting the OP at serious risk. Perhaps if we can put our heads together we can come up with something that will actually help her.​

 

[drumstick diva]

Got squirrels? Get Jack Russell terrier. Goodby squirrels.