What is chewing up my coop? Now with pics--pg 2

[Appaloosa Hill Farm]

I think the culprit is a squirrel. The chew marks are about three feet off the ground on the corner of the coop. The darn thing chewed all the way through the wall into the frame work. Today I also noticed "raw" spots (paint missing, rough edges) alond the bottom of the coop. Could this be the squirrel, too, or do we have some nasty critter trying to claw its way into the coop after my birds? I'll get some pics tomorrow if that would help!

 

[wanda047]

I'd guess a coon...

 

[annek]

Are the 3' chew marks close to the roof? If not, I don't think it is a squirrel. I have never seen a squirrel try to get in low, they always take the attic route or roof line around here. I think you have some chicken lovin buddies trying to get in for a visit. Make sure you are secure-you may want to put up a little electric shock in the form of an electric fence around it, sounds like they are really persistant and if they have gotten through the wall already once, they just need to find the correct spot to claw through. If you don't want to go that route I would set out some traps for what is probably a raccoon, skunk or possum.

 

[Appaloosa Hill Farm]

Quote:
I should have said that the 3' chew marks are right above the spot where the frame work for the covered run starts. We had to shoot a squirrel while we were building this coop because it jumped out of a tree, ran up the ladder my DH had just gotten off of and screeched at us. All fine and dandy, but when we tried to shoo it away, it tried to leap onto one of us! I think we have killer squirrels.... I assumed the raw spots on the bottom of the coop was the squirrel, too, but the more I think about it, the more I think it's a fox, dog or other critter. I'll post pics of it tomorrow. Thank you for all the replies!

 

[columbiacritter]

Do you have porcupines? They will eat the siding off buildings, and tool handles.

 

[quiltnchik]

Quote:
And don't forget TIRES! A friend of ours is a retired logger and said when he was out working in the woods, they would either have to tie dogs to the trucks and/or leave them loose to protect the tires from the porcupines at night. Crazy critters!

 

[al6517]

Could be a mexican chupacabra!!!!.

 

[Appaloosa Hill Farm]

Quote:
That was my first thought, too! BUT seeing as we're so far out of their migratory route, I think it's unlikely.

No porcupine here. There's a skunk that lives out there in the woods behind the coop, though.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
That may be your best clue.

 

[Appaloosa Hill Farm]

Whatever is tearing up the bottom of the coop is fairly smart. We have a beagle/corgi mix who guards the coop, but he's been injured (unrelated to the predator, thank goodness) and has been kept up these last 3 nights. That's exactly when the damage has occured. Hopefully when we get Otis back out on patrol, the critter will go away.