Badgers are not found in all parts of the country. If you live in an area that has a badger, you may be concerned about the safety of your chickens. After all, badgers are animals of large size equipped with strong claws and powerful jaws.
So, do badgers eat chickens? Yes, badgers do eat chickens. This animal is an opportunistic eater and will eat anything that it can get to. Badgers are nocturnal creatures, which means they will come out at night to hunt for chickens and other animals. There are different methods to prevent the badgers from getting to your chickens.
Do Badgers Attack Chickens?
Badgers do attack chickens, but it’s for acquiring food. This animal is an opportunistic feeder, so they look for any opportunity to find food that is easy to catch.
If the chickens are easy for them to catch and eat, badgers are known to return each night to the coop.
Unlike other predators such as foxes and minks that attack one chicken and haul it away. When a badger gains access to the chicken coop, they will attack as many chickens as they can. Some owners have reported that badgers are able to attack and eaten several chickens before going back to their den to sleep.
Do Badgers Kill Chickens?
Badgers are strong and fearless predators, which means they do kill chickens. Badgers are built with the right tools for hunting and killing their prey quickly. The sharp claws can rip their prey with ease. Their jaws are extremely strong and can crush the bones of small animals quickly. This means the chickens will have no chance of survival if they come across a badger.
In addition, they are large in size. The average adult badger weighs around 37 pounds. An adult chicken weight no more than 2 pounds, so they have no chance against a badger.
Once a badger gains access to the chicken coop, they will go on a killing spree. They will try to kill as many chickens as they can before they start to eat one.
For a chicken keeper, finding a lot of chicken killed can be devastating, especially if the chickens are just left to die.
Therefore, it’s best to keep and protect the badgers from your chickens.
How Do You Keep Badgers Away From Chickens?
A badger is a smart and strong creature. Once they have broken into a coop once, they will know where and how to access it again next time.
Badger are not very agile like foxes and minks, but they can usually find their way around to get into the coop.
One of the things badger is good at is climbing. They are able to climb the chicken coop and gain access from the top.
However, they are most skilled at digging. Badgers are great at digging to find food and make their home in the ground.
For this reason, you need to secure the chicken coop and run.
How Do I Protect My Chickens From Badgers?
Remove food from the chicken coop. Badgers are always looking for food that is easy to obtain. If you have leftover food in the coop, this will definitely attract the badgers to your coop. By removing any food in the evening, it will lessen the chance for the badgers to come to the coop.
Secure the door with quality materials. Badgers are strong animals that are capable of breaking hinges off doors. To ensure that they can’t go through the door, use high-strength materials for the hinges, locks, and the door itself.
Run constructed with strong wire mesh. Regular chicken wires sometimes aren’t strong enough to keep the badgers out. With their strong claws, they can tear the mesh open. If your area has a lot of badgers around, you should consider constructing the run and perimeter around the chicken coop with strong wire mesh.
Install motion-activated lighting. Badgers are nocturnal creatures and will come out at night to hunt. By installing a lighting system around the coop, it will help deter the badgers from coming close. As they approach the coop, their motion will activate the light to come on. Startled, the badger will retreat into the woods.
Install the fence that’s going underground. Badgers are great diggers and able to dig right under the fence. Install the fence that goes underground as well. Make sure that it is about 10 inches deep in the ground. This will be deep enough that the badger will refrain from digging anymore.
Conclusion
Badgers do eat chickens since it’s an easy and nutritious prey for them. This creature is large in size and with its powerful jaws and sharp claws, the chickens will have no chance of survival if they cross the badger. To prevent them from getting to your chickens, you need to secure the coop with high-strength materials all around the chicken coop. Badgers are good at climbing and digging, so you’ll need to make sure the coop has no opening at the top and wire fencing is deep enough into the ground.
