The chicks survived their first night in the coop. I have them in their crate in the coop so the mom and pop chickens can get used to them. I set a trap outside the coop to catch any predators that might be lurking and just my luck, caught a skunk:( I was unsure how to handle that situation so I made a pole with a hook on the end and dragged the trap away from the chickens. I walked carefully up to the trap and stuck my 22 Winchester rifle close to the wire and fired off one shot. The skunk was still moving so I covered my nose and half closed my eyes ( it let some of it's stink out and was getting too me) and fired off another shot. Damn thing was still moving and I couldn't get back close enough to try a third shot. I'm letting it take a breather and will go back out later and see if it has expired so I can clean out the trap. If not, I guess I'll shoot it one more time. The only other gun I have is a 30/30 rifle and I'm afraid to shoot that close with it. This is only the second animal that I have killed in my life with a gun. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I guess I'll do whatever it takes to keep my chicks safe. Just want to see them grow up and lay eggs for me to bake with:)

:ohwell:

Why kill the skunk?

:ohwell:

Why kill the skunk?

Sorry, didn't know you wanted it. I'll save the next one for ya, where do you want it delivered? :whistle:

The chicks survived their first night in the coop. I have them in their crate in the coop so the mom and pop chickens can get used to them. I set a trap outside the coop to catch any predators that might be lurking and just my luck, caught a skunk:( I was unsure how to handle that situation so I made a pole with a hook on the end and dragged the trap away from the chickens. I walked carefully up to the trap and stuck my 22 Winchester rifle close to the wire and fired off one shot. The skunk was still moving so I covered my nose and half closed my eyes ( it let some of it's stink out and was getting too me) and fired off another shot. Damn thing was still moving and I couldn't get back close enough to try a third shot. I'm letting it take a breather and will go back out later and see if it has expired so I can clean out the trap. If not, I guess I'll shoot it one more time. The only other gun I have is a 30/30 rifle and I'm afraid to shoot that close with it. This is only the second animal that I have killed in my life with a gun. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I guess I'll do whatever it takes to keep my chicks safe. Just want to see them grow up and lay eggs for me to bake with:)


Stop, I can't stop laughing. This is to funny. Your yard is going to stink for a long time.

Skunks are easy to take care of. You just talk nice to them and let them out or cover them up with a blanket and walk them to water.

Please post an update to the rest of the story

Can you say stiff skunks stink many times fast. I did when I was getting that predator out of the trap this afternoon. Have it set for tonight :pray: Please don't catch another skunk :pray: Maybe it might be a possum, coon or fox:o

Sorry, didn't know you wanted it. I'll save the next one for ya, where do you want it delivered? :whistle:

:killingme:killingme:killingme

They normally do not climb fences to get poultry. If skunks gain access, they will normally feed on the eggs and occasionally kill one or two fowl. Some times the skunk will remove the head from the chicken to drink the blood.:jameo:
Personally speaking, I would have let it go.

They normally do not climb fences to get poultry. If skunks gain access, they will normally feed on the eggs and occasionally kill one or two fowl. Some times the skunk will remove the head from the chicken to drink the blood.:jameo:
Personally speaking, I would have let it go.

Lilypad, PM me directions to your house so I know where to let it go, thanks!!

Lilypad, PM me directions to your house so I know where to let it go, thanks!!

:howdy:
I have deer, raccoons, a bear and skunks on my property-one more lil ol Pepe La Pew woulda been okay:lmao:...just wait until Inkpen reads this! Ouuuuuuuuu yous in trouble!:evil:

Lilypad, PM me directions to your house so I know where to let it go, thanks!!

:killingme At the rate your going with the skunks you can deliver one to everyone...:lmao:

:killingme At the rate your going with the skunks you can deliver one to everyone...:lmao:

Night two of the chicks being in the pen and all was quiet. I hope I don't catch anymore predators ever and my chicks live to a ripe old age. That is all I ever wanted, chickens and eggs. If they leave me alone, I leave them alone. I collected the one egg my chicken laid today and with the egg she laid yesterday I made a sour cream and walnut coffee cake this morning. It was delicious and very moist. Got to go disc up the garden now........

It's been a week and my chicks are still alive!!! I am still keeping them in a crate inside the coop at night, and let them out during the day in the coop to mingle with their mom and dad. They seem to be scared of their parents still. Good thing the rooster is a kind guy, he isn't into bullying the new chicks. Last night I caught a coon in the trap. It's a real big one. He is going to be relocated via ATV a couple miles away on trails I've been blazing after lunch today:) If I can remember, I'll post pic's later.

Forgot to take pictures, didn't have time to relocate the coon until after dinner. Man, those things smell and it pee'd on my truck. He was very happy to be let out in the stream and get a good drink. He was headed north away from my farm when I last saw him. I reset the trap and don't know if I caught another predator until I feed up this morning. I'm just happy my chicks are still alive this long. Maybe they will make it.

How far away did you take it? I was told that taking a critter less than 10 or so miles is not far enough (maybe depends on type of critter?). That they would come back. I relocated 5 opossums and 5 raccoons (hey maybe they were dancing partners LOL). The young opossums were slipping in through a small opening after the flooding and eating the chicken food out of the feeder (at least they left my chickens alone) and the raccoons were stealing cat food from the barn.


Forgot to take pictures, didn't have time to relocate the coon until after dinner. Man, those things smell and it pee'd on my truck. He was very happy to be let out in the stream and get a good drink. He was headed north away from my farm when I last saw him. I reset the trap and don't know if I caught another predator until I feed up this morning. I'm just happy my chicks are still alive this long. Maybe they will make it.

Chicks have been outside in the coop for 12 nights now. They are still alive and I'm really happy about that. Haven't caught any predators since the raccoon, all is quiet on the farm. I decided to try to let the hen hatch some eggs. So far there are eight eggs which means there is no snake around. Maybe some day I will have that coop full of chickens!

Great ! I hope you have all the chicks you want soon ! :yahoo:

Found two dead chicks when I went to feed up this morning:( They still have their heads and guts. It must of been an inside job. The hen has 12 eggs laid in her nest, she better get to setting soon. If she hatches out the eggs herself then she'll take care of the chicks and maybe they will live to lay eggs. Man, thoses chicks were getting big and I thought they were going to make it. Hope the other two chicks get to die of old age.

What a bunner - I hve seen them pick on each other and I try to catch it fast so I can isolate the injured one(s). Of course then I'm faced with re-introducing the injured one(s) back into the group. Not an easy task sometimes. I wonder if Miss Gonna-Get-Broody was defending her eggs? Hmmmm. I've heard that hens can get quite nasty when they have chicks, so why not when they have eggs also?

Chicks update: I have no idea how long the two chicks have been in the pen now, but they have grown up quick. I do believe that one is a rooster. I am going to remove the young couple and put them in with the turkey before the older rooster kills the younger rooster. After the cooler weather started, I left eggs in there to see if the hen would set on them. There were over two dozen eggs in the nest and the hen was not interested in hatching them out. I've removed them and now she is moulting. I'll try her again in the spring and maybe the young couple will raise some chicks for me next year.

Chicks update: I have no idea how long the two chicks have been in the pen now, but they have grown up quick. I do believe that one is a rooster. I am going to remove the young couple and put them in with the turkey before the older rooster kills the younger rooster. After the cooler weather started, I left eggs in there to see if the hen would set on them. There were over two dozen eggs in the nest and the hen was not interested in hatching them out. I've removed them and now she is moulting. I'll try her again in the spring and maybe the young couple will raise some chicks for me next year.

It's hard to get today's hybridized chickens to set eggs. It seems to have been bred out of even the "heritage" breeds. We gave up on hatching eggs even in a commercial incubator long ago. We buy day old chicks now. Seemed our rooster to hen ratio always favored roosters whenever we hatched eggs. Good luck!

Chicks update: I have no idea how long the two chicks have been in the pen now, but they have grown up quick. I do believe that one is a rooster. I am going to remove the young couple and put them in with the turkey before the older rooster kills the younger rooster. After the cooler weather started, I left eggs in there to see if the hen would set on them. There were over two dozen eggs in the nest and the hen was not interested in hatching them out. I've removed them and now she is moulting. I'll try her again in the spring and maybe the young couple will raise some chicks for me next year.

So far only 1 of my 30-some chickens is in the mood to set on eggs - Miss Broody girl Robin sits on them until I pull her off a few times, then she stops a while. I have several easter-eggers none of which has laid an egg in weeks. Also have about 7 white egg layers that are not laying either (albeit 5 are youngsters) and all I am seeing is brown eggs. I should be getting more than 6-8 eggs daily from 30 hens so my girls have really cut back as I WAS getting 10-12 a day LOL.

Anyone know the best way to handle roosters that attack people? I know most folks say kill-em but I don't have the heart because 1 is a rescue and the other I raised from a day old chick. I'm sort-of attached to them both but they are making my life difficult and they are a liability if they get out of the pen. Someone told me to drop them off with the Amish on Rt 6 but why would they want 2 roosters that attack people? Doesn't sound like the right thing to do. I have other roosters that are as sweet as can be, just these two are bad roosters.:shrug:

So far only 1 of my 30-some chickens is in the mood to set on eggs - Miss Broody girl Robin sits on them until I pull her off a few times, then she stops a while. I have several easter-eggers none of which has laid an egg in weeks. Also have about 7 white egg layers that are not laying either (albeit 5 are youngsters) and all I am seeing is brown eggs. I should be getting more than 6-8 eggs daily from 30 hens so my girls have really cut back as I WAS getting 10-12 a day LOL.

Anyone know the best way to handle roosters that attack people? I know most folks say kill-em but I don't have the heart because 1 is a rescue and the other I raised from a day old chick. I'm sort-of attached to them both but they are making my life difficult and they are a liability if they get out of the pen. Someone told me to drop them off with the Amish on Rt 6 but why would they want 2 roosters that attack people? Doesn't sound like the right thing to do. I have other roosters that are as sweet as can be, just these two are bad roosters.:shrug:

Steel toed boots...:whistle: When my dad had chickens we had a rooster that would attack me and my mom. Never bothered my dad. One day he flew up and spur'd me in the face just missing my eye. The next time I was prepared. I had on steel toe boots and here he comes. Luckily I timed it right and punted him in the chest and he went flying a few feet and got up half stunned, he shook himself off and left me alone after that. But of course when it all happed my dad saw it and oh well the rooster was in the pot. Mom cooked it and the old bird was so tough that you couldn't eat it. So the dogs had a great dinner that night. I would carry a stick or something with ya. If they come after you whack em..