Will Skunks Kill Chickens?

When skunks enter chicken coops they WILL kill chickens, but this is usually a side effect. Skunks will not enter chicken coops to kill and feast on the actual chickens; it's the young chicks and eggs that they're really looking for. Chickens are actually quite formidable opponents when you're a relatively small animal, and very few skunks grow to much bigger than your average house cat. 

Skunks eat a wide variety of food, both meat and plant-based. Chicken eggs are an easy meal for them, as are young chicks who are unable to defend themselves, but chickens will peck and scratch back and could actually cause pretty serious harm to a predator. In some cases of skunk versus chicken, the skunk actually comes out a lot worse off. It is simply a matter of how large the skunk is, and how "savvy" the animal is. A young skunk just trying its like could very easily come out of the conflict injured or worse — dead. 

Of course, in most skunk-chicken conflicts, it is the chickens that will come off worse. Wild animals such as skunks are not usually foolish enough to try and prey on something much larger than it can handle, but the animal might not be aware of the large chicken risk when it enters the coop to feast on the eggs. 

How to protect your chicken coop against skunks and other pests 

There ARE ways that you can protect your land, but it will usually require a certain amount of effort on your part. Modifications include installing additional wire barriers, adding a second or third lock, and even making sure that you've got the underground covered, too. An addition to the regular fence, underground, can prevent digging animals from getting under and inside. You should also ensure that you are shutting your chickens in the coop every night. 

One of the biggest yet simplest steps you can take is to remove all sources of food from the area. This is what lures skunks (and other wild critters) to your property in the first place. The main source of food when you have chickens around, is chicken feed. If this is left out or all over the floor, you are encouraging all sorts of wild animals to come closer. 



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