A fox or Racoon.and or a SKUNK IS?

Question

GETTING IN MY Chicken Coop[ NO KIDDING] Killing them ,,not real sure which critter is one or all three are getting into there coop. I have it boarded up and closed ,Some how are getting in

Answer 1

All three are big time predators and smart when it comes to finding their way in.

I live in the hills and predators abound. Last year we had a tiny, tiny little skunk getting in and it squeezed in thru 1 inch chicken wire. The spotted skunk is very small, and the babies (which lived under the shed last year) are even smaller. They got two of my little tiny banty chickens, but didn't try for the larger hens.

I keep most animals (except the skunks) totally out of my yard with a chain link fence and a strand of electric wire on top of that. Unfortunately, the skunks can crawl thru the chain link as their bodies are so narrow.

You might consider putting such a fence around your coop. Predators can squeeze through open doors, chew holes in wood, and the hens have no way to escape.

The predators might be digging underneath and finding a loose floor board.

Answer 2

A little more info please. How many birds are killed at a time? Is it only one at at time or several? Is it mature chickens or chicks? What damage is done to the birds? Is just the head and neck gone or has the entrails and organs been eaten as well? Is your coop made of wood slats or is there wire around the base and walls? Is it a walk-in coop or a raised pen cage. If your coop touches the ground do you see evidence of burrowing, if so how large is the burrow holes? How large of gaps are there in the wood that you have boarded up. And finally, what county and state do you live in.

Now...Skunks and Coon prefer eggs and chicks. If you are loosing quite a few at a time with not much overall damage to the birds I suspect weasel or MINK. Do you live near a mink ranch? A mink will kill several chickens and just eat the heads and necks. Some mink will eat several heads and then kill more for the fun of the kill. We have had a mink kill the entire coop, (30+) in one night for the love of the kill. A fox will generally take the birds with him. As for snakes, a snake kills to eat. If it killed a chicken, and then could injest it (banty, chicks etc.) it would probably have to stick around the coop until the bird is digested unless there are very large gaps to get out through. There were several times I went to feed my rabbits in my rabbit shed and found a big blow snake inside the shed. He could get in, but after he ate, he couldn't get out. To keep out burrowing critters, when we build a coop we dig down about 16" around the perimeter of the coop and vertically lay in some chicken wire which is nailed to the coop. This has kept out all dogs, fox, skunk, racoon, mink, everything. Our coop is covered 16" below ground to the roof with chicken wire. The rafter vents are covered with chicken wire to prevent access at the top plate. Yes, it is a lot of work, but I can honestly say we have not lost any birds since we started building this way 20+ years ago. We learned by experience, the hard way

Answer 3

Time of day?
Skunk- you will smell clues, fox will leave lots of print--
if only at night--raccoon
Boarded or not they can unlock, heck they can learn to close the door after the crime.
We had a raccoon attack our Easter chicks.
We laid a six inch wide path of broken glass around the coop perimeter except at the doorway, which is good for snakes and critters that approach from the ground or try to dig but bad for kids, so teach them safety first.
Also as long as you are accusing critters, what about 'possum and rats?
If you're "humane, trap and remove, if not camp and shoot.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

possible burrowing. yo might want to re-inforce tthe bottom and make a lifted chicken coop then the critters wont be able to burrow into it.

Answer 6

racoons and skunks arent predatory animals. try peeing on or around the coop. they hate other urine smells. or try to trap it

Answer 7

you might want to keep an eye out to see what it is thats taking your chickens. you might have a neighbor like me who loves chicken

Answer 8

look around the ground or up under the eves by the roof them little fu**ers can jump!

Answer 9

i believe your culprit is a snake.

Answer 10

that sucks.