Squirrels!

[Dixiedoodle]

Oh--I thought I was sooooo smart!I used chain link fencing to completely enclose my chicken run, burying it two feet in the ground and a two foot 'L' to prevent dig ins! Then I added 1/2" hardware cloth around the entire botttom, three feet up and on the door--to prevent anything from pulling my girls thru the fence!!! The windows have hardware cloth and chain linking! A few weeks ago, I saw a tiny squirrel in the run trying to eat the seeds/feed that was on the ground...as soon as he heard me, he high tailed it outta there!! Barney ( my roo) was having a fit and all the girls were in the coop--hiding! Well, today I go out to visit with my girls and give them fresh water (cuz it's 102*)! I get out there and notice something eating out of the large feeder, IN the coop!! It was a half grown squirrel and he sits there, when I get inside the fence, he bolts for the fence and gets stuck--his head is just about tooo big for the chain linking! But as I get closer with the hoe---he slips thru! So, now we have to put hardware cloth or some small holed wire all over the upper part of the run!! Meaning more $$$ and more work!!! I HATE squirrels.. for years, I fought them over my bird feeders--they not only ate the feed but destoryed my feeders, the shurbs, the lilies everything with in their reach... Then I decided to bring the hounds into the yard and feed the birds in peace..Then I got tired of cleaning up squirrel remains and quit feeding the wonderful song birds in my area.


I refuse to let them win at this---so tomorrow I will be adding more wire to my coop...Anyone like squirrel stew!! Anyone have tips on keeping the squirrels out of my coop and run!!!

 

[rhodiegal]

My father-in-law uses those humane traps and puts pieces of corn in it. He has caught and relocated - and I am not kidding- 26 squirrels! They invade his bird feeders like you mentioned. You may want to try putting one outside your coop with tasty stuff in it.

 

[fordmommy]

I've tried to be nice and trap them. I only got one. The are smart and if they've see one squirrel in the trap...the others won't go near it.

I've tried "Squirrel Be Gone". A powder that you can get from your local hardware store that is mostly cayanne pepper and other pepper powders. It never has worked for my squirrels. But the birds love it.

So...I have gone the other way. No More Nice Guy. I use the BB gun. My dog helps. And some of them buggers are fast and sneaky. But I have done very well at keeping them at bay.


Good luck and "May the force be with you."

 

[DLS]

I use the boy next door anf a .22 pellet gun . That boy kills the stew out of tree rats

 

[patman75]

Pellet gun or feed them peanuts. If peanuts are around theywont care about the chicken feed.

 

[MomtoSyd&Emma]

My brother is the "mighty squirrel hunter" around here, he shoots them daily some die some come back another day to torment them lol They keep getting in their attic and chewing on wires, they have done everything they can to keep them out of the attic ventilation holes but they somehow find ways in, they call them furry roaches lol and they HATE them! trapping didnt work here so killing them is what they do! I wish you luck with the furry rat roaches lol

 

[pbjmaker]

Here is a reason to distrust the "furry rat roaches" and get rid of them.

http://www.kcci.com/news/20360285/detail.html

I have them all over my yard along with squinnies (you might know them as ground squirrels) My neighbor feeds them every day and then gets mad that my outdoor cat lays in her "baited" yard and captures them

 

[Brindlebtch]

Maggie, the ultimate in squirrel control.

 

[Laurie's Silkies]

I keep a large plant drip pan filled with sunflower seeds, cracked corn and whole corn at all times. I have discovered that by feeding the squirrels specifically, they leave my bird feeders alone and they never go near the coop. This works great for me !!

 

[SproutGirl]

Quote:
That's what we did too. Every morning, we'd set out the trap with peanuts in it, and every day we'd return home to find a trapped squirrel. We'd take them out of town (because other people don't want them in their gardens and neighborhoods) and let them go to be eaten by something. Autumn time is a good time to trap them, since they are storing up their food for winter, and can't resist peanuts in the shells. We trapped squirrels every day for weeks, and it has really reduced the population. Even neighbors have commented that they have seen less of them.