Skunks are mammals of medium size and they are
known because of the capacity they have of
spraying the liquid that have unpleasant and
strong odor. There are four types of skunks. The
skunks can live in the agriculture land,
grassland and woodland. The skunks are nocturnal
animals and they search for the food at dusk and
when it is sunrise, they are going to retire in
their dens and this may be a ground borrow under
a rock pile or a building. When the skunks get
the access to the coop, they can feed on the
eggs and they may kill or hurt the chickens. The
skunk may kill some few adult birds and when
they kill the poultry, they may kill one or even
two chicken and they are going to maul them in a
considerable way. The skunks can also kill the
mice and the rats in the grain storage
buildings. The skunks are known to be nest
robbers. The eggs get opened at one end and the
edges are crushed so that the skunk can put the
nose in the hole in order to lick what it is
found inside.
To protect the chicken, you have to ensure that
they are put in secure coops that run with the
right fencing. Small chicks have to be kept in
the secure brooder. The skunks do not like to
break the fences but they can get the access
through the weak spots and in the loose places
near the buildings or the fences. The skunks are
good diggers and they may get access to the
chicken when they dig under the trees. The
skunks can be attracted by the shelter, water
and food. To prevent them against coming in your
home, you should not leave the pet food where
they can get to them. Use paving slabs near the
perimeter of the coop and bury or run some few
inches of the hardware cloth or the welded wire
on the bottom of the fence so that they do not
dig and enter in the chicken coop. When you
raise the chicken to get eggs, when you lose the
eggs to the predator, it can be discouraging to
you. There are many animals that can eat the
eggs like jays, crows, dogs, raccoons, opossums,
snakes, skunks and rats. The skunks are going to
leave some telltale shells around. If it is the
chicken that was eaten, the abdomen may be
missing but not the skin and the muscle and
there is always a lingering odor in the air.
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