Squirrels

[589205]

Here is one I caught. They look kind of like a rat except for the teeth.
View attachment 2542591View attachment 2542592View attachment 2542610

Good god, its teeth are friggin huge like a beaver

 

[cmom]

A Sand Hill crane and a Fox Squirrel.

 

[2000096904]

I've had some problems mostly with them stealing food. But that is mostly is it I would worrie if they went to close to a young one ya know just in case but other than that not much problem but if they do cause problems for you your rooster will most likely scare it away if not or you don't have one in your flock or he did not handel it you can bag it and bring it somewhere else

 

[589205]

A Sand Hill crane and a Fox Squirrel.

GO CRANE, GO!

I've had some problems mostly with them stealing food. But that is mostly is it I would worrie if they went to close to a young one ya know just in case but other than that not much problem but if they do cause problems for you your rooster will most likely scare it away if not or you don't have one in your flock or he did not handel it you can bag it and bring it somewhere else

I do have one young Orp roo. He's been great so far but he's still learning how to seem intimidating he squawks, crows and screams at anything he thinks is a threat

 

[589205]

He's been kinda lazy lately but I'll try getting some vid footage of him in action soon. He moves pretty fast for a big guy!

 

[589205]

I've trapped quite a few here that I relocated to public parks but more just keep showing up to take up empty residence in the tree. I've thought about wrapping my tree and putting spikes on the fence to prevent them from climbing but knowing them, they'd probably find a way around it so my best bet is to build a greenhouse over the garden that they can't get into

 

[589205]

Update: we've just hung up a solar powered electric fence wire along the top of our privacy fence. Been watching the squirrels to see how they react and there's just one who had jumped over it. Will be adjusting it again tomorrow so that they get a good shock if they try climbing/walking across. I also have a plug-in electric one as backup, in case the solar one isn't strong enough or stops working but so far so good

 

[Al Gerhart]

The squirrels are coming for the feed. Fix that problem first with a treadle feeder. They are tough to keep out if there are many of them. You would need full sized birds to operate a treadle that is set as stiff as possible and still allow the chickens to feed. Just move the spring that pre loads the door to a more distant hole, make another hole if you have to.

No guillotine style doors, squirrels just push them open, they are not spring loaded, not rat proof, not mice proof, certainly not squirrel proof. You need a narrow and distant treadle so the squirrel cannot stand on the treadle and push on the door or upward swinging lid (guillotine style door).

And never, ever, buy a feeder that requires it be left open during training. That is a very poor design because the rats and squirrels learn that there is feed stored there. A properly designed feeder surprises the critter, the feed has disappeared from its point of view, it can smell the feed but will get frustrated and leave once it gets hungry and learn to forage for natural food.

Trapping or poison don't work long term because as you said it is that nesting tree that draws the squirrels to the territory. Every year new squirrels are born but the territories are already taken so a squirrel has to fight for a territory by booting out an older squirrel or find one that has been opened due to a squirrel being caught by a predator.

They will eat eggs and chicks during their nesting season as they need protein to nurse their young.

 

[589205]

The squirrels are coming for the feed. Fix that problem first with a treadle feeder. They are tough to keep out if there are many of them. You would need full sized birds to operate a treadle that is set as stiff as possible and still allow the chickens to feed. Just move the spring that pre loads the door to a more distant hole, make another hole if you have to.

No guillotine style doors, squirrels just push them open, they are not spring loaded, not rat proof, not mice proof, certainly not squirrel proof. You need a narrow and distant treadle so the squirrel cannot stand on the treadle and push on the door or upward swinging lid (guillotine style door).

And never, ever, buy a feeder that requires it be left open during training. That is a very poor design because the rats and squirrels learn that there is feed stored there. A properly designed feeder surprises the critter, the feed has disappeared from its point of view, it can smell the feed but will get frustrated and leave once it gets hungry and learn to forage for natural food.

Trapping or poison don't work long term because as you said it is that nesting tree that draws the squirrels to the territory. Every year new squirrels are born but the territories are already taken so a squirrel has to fight for a territory by booting out an older squirrel or find one that has been opened due to a squirrel being caught by a predator.

They will eat eggs and chicks during their nesting season as they need protein to nurse their young.

They don't have access to chicken feed but the neighbors bird feeders still feed them. They haven't been messing with our fence as much ever since we put up an electric wire fence along top of our wood privacy fence but 3 of them still have guts to try crossing it, the 3 ones we're dealing with are mature and seem to have claimed residence up in the tree. Any suggestions?

 

[589205]

Here's some more picture proof of the tree damage they've been causing:

See the hole they dug?