Effective squirrel repellant to keep them out of the coop

[Naser]

Try trigger happy chicken feeder. But be sure to use a bucket which is hard for squirrels to reach

 

[Pugsabi]

Cayenne pepper. It also keeps the rats out of the feed. We used to have tons of squirrels and rats hanging out with the hens all day, eating at the troughs. Once I started mixing cayenne pepper in the feed, the rodents moved on.

This! The pepper doesn't bother the chickens but the squirrels tend to hate it. we

 

[MROO]

Another option, which doesn't work for everyone, is an LGD - Livestock Guardian Dog.
Might a couple of guinea hens help?

 

[AuntJamie]

^^^ I agree. I have an LGD and absolutely NOTHING comes around our yard. Cats help, too. No squirrels, mice, hawks, foxes, badgers, skunks, etc. My Great Pyrenees keeps them all far away. Including neighbors dogs and wild birds. It takes some work to train, but get one from a good line of workers and that helps a great deal, IMO.

 

[Padfoot22]

I have tried cayenne pepper, spraying peppermint, ziptying pool noodles around my doors to the run and I have cats but my squirrels are relentless!! I have large gaps around the doors to fill. The fencing is not chicken wire (much stronger) so at least they can’t chew through it. But it’s difficult to put hardwire or the current type of wire further and also be able to open and close the door. I clean up after my chickens daily and the squirrels make the mess you see on the ground almost immediately after they eat and before I can catch them. I’m tempted to get an air gun!