Oliver_Douglas
In the Brooder
Thought this might be useful/amusing for other members regarding our recent victory (fingers crossed) over a skunk family.
Lost one pullet last spring to what we thought was a skunk (judging by smell). Coop is inside the barn, and they run free outside during the day. We had one that always preferred staying on the ground while others always roosted high on the fence or in the coop--turned out to be a bad choice. Apparently the skunk had tunneled under the barn wall; bunch of feathers, head was gone. No trouble since.
Then last week, found a hole dug under the cement slab of the barn. Sticking out was a small black and white tail. I guess he thought he was hiding. Dumped a bucket of water in the hole. Four baby skunks emerged, dripping wet, calmly waddled 3-4 feet away, and ducked into another recently dug hole under the slab. I left to get the water hose, wife stayed behind, to see mama skunk emerge, with FIVE more babies following. They made a hasty (hasty for skunks) exit outside through a hole at the base of the wall board. Yep, 10 skunks--time to get serious.
Trapping sounded difficult and probably expensive if hired out, so I started looking for humane ways to evict--don't wanna kill em, just want em gone.
Came across a recommendation for a pepper spray, made from chiles and onions, diced, boiled, then strained through cheesecloth into a sprayer. From the garden I have more chiles than I could ever eat--serrano, jalapeno, fresno--so i made a batch, adding a 1/4 cup of cayenne powder just to make sure, ran through the food processor, boiled, strained, into the sprayer with 2 gallons of water. First I flooded the holes, then filled the holes with dirt, then liberally sprayed the inside and outside perimeter of the barn with the fire water. Also sprayed the area with red fox urine. I also set up a spot light pointing in the area of their holes. Because I was dressed like an idiot, in t-shirt, shorts and loafers, I also picked up numerous mosquito and fire ant bites. Next morning, all skunks returned, into the neatly re-dug, now-muddy and brightly lit holes. Time to get serious-er.
Next morning (with forecast high for the day near 100--fun), I put on long sleeves, long pants, and boots, and doused myself with DEET. Started by clearing away the brush I had allowed to grow up around the barn, cuz I'm lazy and let things go like that. With a chain saw, string trimmer, riding mower, loppers and gatorade, managed to clear away the brush and branches. Mom appears and sprays--a near miss! (stink!). Now 11 AM--hot. Went inside the barn, flooded the holes again, out came the processional, exiting under the wall to the outside. I filled in the holes again, this time adding bricks, rocks, and boards to the mix. Hens locked in the coop watching with interest. Went outside, where they'd now holed up under a tree stump where they had excavated around the roots. I sprayed them with the remaining fire water and the water hose, and they went back inside through a different hole in the wall I had overlooked. Back inside again, chased them back through the hole with a water hose. Covered that hole with dirt, bricks and boards. Went back outside. Mama runs out of the stump nest (decoy?) and toward the pasture with one baby following. Mama pulls ahead of the baby, baby gets disoriented, turns around, starts calling mama, meows kind of like a cat, then hides in the weeds along the fence row. Mama continues out into the pasture, and then I start feeling sorry for the hated but cute baby and its stinky siblings. Noon now--hotter. I decided I'd leave them alone for the rest of the day.
Came in for a break, kids tell us we smell like skunk, then I started to feel bad for the stranded one, and decided to try and catch him, reunite him with the pack, in hopes they'd all leave together. Went back out--2PM--hotter--stranded one still in the same spot, chased him out, he sprayed--another near miss! (stink!), I plopped a plastic bucket over him, then set the bucket on its side near the stump/nest, and he re-joined the troupe. Contemplated the stupidity of reuniting the family while simultaneously seeking to evict them. Neighbor asks from across the fence if we'd caught the skunk yet. 'I could tell by the smell what you were after'. No, haven't caught them yet, but I found their den and they sure are cute--wanna come see? Invitation declined.
Later that evening, got moth balls (which I'd read worked well), put them into socks and placed the sock inside the barn perimeter. Mama had returned and all were huddled under the stump. Left the lights on all night again, hoping they get the message and move on.
This morning--victory. No apparent re-entry, stump hideout empty. Hens, complaining loudly after being locked in the coop for 2 days, released into the barnyard. Put moth balls into the stump hideout, as well as around the perimeter of the house (we have a crawlspace), along with another spraying of red fox urine.
So, was it just the moth balls all along? Don't know. Do know: Skunks will kill chickens; they're stubborn--they know a good spot when they find one, and won't easily move on; even little ones can spray; they're resourceful--they made a nest in a location you wouldn't know was there unless you were looking for it, excavated expertly and quickly; they do seem to give up easily when their digging runs into a brick or board; bright lights, red fox urine, chile fire water, flooding--none seemed to have any effect.
Hopefully the story ends here...
Lost one pullet last spring to what we thought was a skunk (judging by smell). Coop is inside the barn, and they run free outside during the day. We had one that always preferred staying on the ground while others always roosted high on the fence or in the coop--turned out to be a bad choice. Apparently the skunk had tunneled under the barn wall; bunch of feathers, head was gone. No trouble since.
Then last week, found a hole dug under the cement slab of the barn. Sticking out was a small black and white tail. I guess he thought he was hiding. Dumped a bucket of water in the hole. Four baby skunks emerged, dripping wet, calmly waddled 3-4 feet away, and ducked into another recently dug hole under the slab. I left to get the water hose, wife stayed behind, to see mama skunk emerge, with FIVE more babies following. They made a hasty (hasty for skunks) exit outside through a hole at the base of the wall board. Yep, 10 skunks--time to get serious.
Trapping sounded difficult and probably expensive if hired out, so I started looking for humane ways to evict--don't wanna kill em, just want em gone.
Came across a recommendation for a pepper spray, made from chiles and onions, diced, boiled, then strained through cheesecloth into a sprayer. From the garden I have more chiles than I could ever eat--serrano, jalapeno, fresno--so i made a batch, adding a 1/4 cup of cayenne powder just to make sure, ran through the food processor, boiled, strained, into the sprayer with 2 gallons of water. First I flooded the holes, then filled the holes with dirt, then liberally sprayed the inside and outside perimeter of the barn with the fire water. Also sprayed the area with red fox urine. I also set up a spot light pointing in the area of their holes. Because I was dressed like an idiot, in t-shirt, shorts and loafers, I also picked up numerous mosquito and fire ant bites. Next morning, all skunks returned, into the neatly re-dug, now-muddy and brightly lit holes. Time to get serious-er.
Next morning (with forecast high for the day near 100--fun), I put on long sleeves, long pants, and boots, and doused myself with DEET. Started by clearing away the brush I had allowed to grow up around the barn, cuz I'm lazy and let things go like that. With a chain saw, string trimmer, riding mower, loppers and gatorade, managed to clear away the brush and branches. Mom appears and sprays--a near miss! (stink!). Now 11 AM--hot. Went inside the barn, flooded the holes again, out came the processional, exiting under the wall to the outside. I filled in the holes again, this time adding bricks, rocks, and boards to the mix. Hens locked in the coop watching with interest. Went outside, where they'd now holed up under a tree stump where they had excavated around the roots. I sprayed them with the remaining fire water and the water hose, and they went back inside through a different hole in the wall I had overlooked. Back inside again, chased them back through the hole with a water hose. Covered that hole with dirt, bricks and boards. Went back outside. Mama runs out of the stump nest (decoy?) and toward the pasture with one baby following. Mama pulls ahead of the baby, baby gets disoriented, turns around, starts calling mama, meows kind of like a cat, then hides in the weeds along the fence row. Mama continues out into the pasture, and then I start feeling sorry for the hated but cute baby and its stinky siblings. Noon now--hotter. I decided I'd leave them alone for the rest of the day.
Came in for a break, kids tell us we smell like skunk, then I started to feel bad for the stranded one, and decided to try and catch him, reunite him with the pack, in hopes they'd all leave together. Went back out--2PM--hotter--stranded one still in the same spot, chased him out, he sprayed--another near miss! (stink!), I plopped a plastic bucket over him, then set the bucket on its side near the stump/nest, and he re-joined the troupe. Contemplated the stupidity of reuniting the family while simultaneously seeking to evict them. Neighbor asks from across the fence if we'd caught the skunk yet. 'I could tell by the smell what you were after'. No, haven't caught them yet, but I found their den and they sure are cute--wanna come see? Invitation declined.
Later that evening, got moth balls (which I'd read worked well), put them into socks and placed the sock inside the barn perimeter. Mama had returned and all were huddled under the stump. Left the lights on all night again, hoping they get the message and move on.
This morning--victory. No apparent re-entry, stump hideout empty. Hens, complaining loudly after being locked in the coop for 2 days, released into the barnyard. Put moth balls into the stump hideout, as well as around the perimeter of the house (we have a crawlspace), along with another spraying of red fox urine.
So, was it just the moth balls all along? Don't know. Do know: Skunks will kill chickens; they're stubborn--they know a good spot when they find one, and won't easily move on; even little ones can spray; they're resourceful--they made a nest in a location you wouldn't know was there unless you were looking for it, excavated expertly and quickly; they do seem to give up easily when their digging runs into a brick or board; bright lights, red fox urine, chile fire water, flooding--none seemed to have any effect.
Hopefully the story ends here...
Last edited:
