Skunk in the Chicken House!

[Simple Chick]

Hi Everyone-
I haven't posted in a few weeks again, but I check in on all of you and appreciate everything you share. I'm posting tonight because I wouldn't have believed what happen if I didn't see it with my own eyes...

This morning I went out to check on my chickens (21 females, 2 roosters, mixed variety, about 12 weeks old) and what I found absolutely made me cry. Something had gotten into the chicken house and killed 12 of them! I am just sick about it. I blamed a raccoon as one has been getting into one of our sheds and ripping open bags of seed etc. My husband thought it may have been a bobcat. Anyway, we got things cleaned up, my husband helped me repair the fence where the offender had dug under it, and we sorrowfully got on with our day.

Well tonight, just about a 1/2 hour ago, I went out to put the remaining 11 to bed for the night and as I was walking back across the yard, along came a skunk making a bee line for the chicken house! My husband and I stood there and watched it go right to the corner where the critter had dug under the fence last night! It circle the chicken house a couple times looking for other places to dig until my husband shot it. My husband commented, "I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it mysef!"

I had no idea that skunks could be so destructive to chickens! I knew they would eat eggs and could maybe take 1 or 2 chickens, but 12 of them! Anyway, mystery solved. Unfortunately too late for 1/2 of my girls. Have any of you heard of skunks causing such carnage? I really am just dumb founded by the whole thing. I was convinced it was a raccoon.

Anyway, just thought I would share my story. This is the first flock I have ever raised and was feeling pretty good about the success I was having until this tragedy! Thanks for listening. I just needed to share with folks that I knew could empathize with me.

Simple Chick

 

[Juliechickens]

Hey Simple chick! Thanks for sharing! Nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to wild animals who are hungry. I'm like you though,,,I would have never blamed a skunk in eating my chickens! It's GREAT that you caught the booger in the act and now you no longer have to worry! Thank goodness you came outside when you did,,,perfect timing! No telling how many more it may have killed that night! Great aim on hubby's shooting ability! That's so awsome you guys can rest peacfully now! Not to mention the other chickens. At least you have some babies still to love. I've had friends get down from 50 to 2 chickens

Horrible! Terrible when you can't catch the **&^%(* thing!!!! I'm sorry of your loss but I'm thrilled that you caught him!!
Julie

 

[SeaChick]

Oh I'm so sorry!
We have a skunk in the neighborhood, so now we're worried. Can you describe the fence he dug under? How deep should we bury our wire? We want to keep our chickens SAFE!

Thanks!

 

[Simple Chick]

SeaChick-
I would bury your fence at least 6" or 8" deep. I know the guys around here who raise pheasants for sport and have large outdoor pens dig a trench and bury metal panels around the outside of their pens. Our pen is contructed of chainlink fence and we covered the top with bird netting. My husband was not keen on burying the fence so we pushed up a bunch of soil around the perimeter, which I think is mostly OK. We had a corner where the fence met the building where we did not secure it well enough and the skunk was able to pry it up. As you are constructing your pen, I would secure it way better than you think is necessary. Critters are crafty!
Simple Chick

 

[Juliechickens]

Simple Chick, glad you shared how deep to dig your fence. I don't have my fence dug down at all so I think I will do that next weekend. I also have a 6 foot privacy wood fence but I'm afraid at night an animal could climb over that. I also lock my coop up at night so nothing can get in but during day when coop open, something could dig under. Thanks for sharing. Julie