As a chicken owner, you will try to do everything to protect your chickens. If you live in an area that has iguanas, this creature will make you worried. After all, iguanas can grow to a very large size and can overpower a chicken easily.
So, do iguanas kill chickens? Iguanas do kill chickens, but it’s rare. Iguanas are herbivores, which means they eat only plant matter. This lizard will usually stay away from chickens, especially adults. However, they will try to steal and eat the chicken’s eggs. Since iguanas are territorial, they may attack and kill the chicken if they get close enough.
What Are Iguanas?
There are over 300 species of iguana worldwide. Iguanas come in many colors and sizes.
This lizard is native to Central and South America but is found in Florida, Hawaii, and Texas. In the U.S., they are an invasive species and are a great danger to native animals. The most common species of iguana found in the U.S. is green iguana.
When it comes to their size, iguanas are big lizards. They are usually around 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) in length, but some can grow much longer than that. Most species of iguanas will weigh no more than 20 pounds.
For their large size, iguanas are comfortable living in treetops. This arboreal creature will usually stay in the trees that are close to bodies of water such as rivers, ponds, and even oceans.
Both male and female iguanas are very territorial and will attack anything that comes close to them. This includes pet iguanas as well. They are still very territorial even in captivity and will attack your other pets if they are within their territory.
Do Iguanas Eat Chickens?
Iguanas do not eat chickens. This creature is a herbivore, which means they eat plants such as vegetables, fruits, and flowers. These are their main food source and what they are interested in eating.
However, iguanas do eat meat. This only happens when there is a scarcity of food. When that happens, they will start to look for other things to eat, which includes chickens.
The lizards will usually prey on young and baby chickens. These are easy prey for them to catch and eat. An adult chicken will put up too much fight and iguanas will try to avoid them.
Do Iguana Eat Chicken Eggs?
When it comes to chicken eggs, iguanas will eat them. It makes a tasty treat for them, and they will eat as much as they can find.
If your chickens are free-ranging, it’s important to only let them lay eggs in the coop. If an iguana is nearby, they’ll come into your yard to eat the eggs.
How To Prevent Iguanas From Killing Your Chickens
While it’s highly unlikely that an iguana will kill your chicken, it is still possible.
Iguana is very territorial and will attack everything that comes within range.
Also, the iguana is known to eat young and baby chickens, only if there are no other food sources around.
There are many ways to keep the iguanas out of the yard, far away from the chickens.
Below are some possible ways to keep the iguanas away:
Clean Up The Yard
Iguanas are always looking for an easy meal. This means garbage, leftover foods, or even fruits and vegetables that fallen from the garden. All of these will entice the iguanas to come into the yard.
Iguanas are known to return to the same area if their food is easily accessible to them.
Do Not Feed the Iguanas
If there are wild iguanas around, avoid feeding them anything, even just a small piece of food. If they know this is the place to get food easily, they’ll keep returning.
When they do return, and you’re not around, they will go after chicken eggs and even the smaller chickens if they see an opportunity.
Cover Warm Surfaces
Like many reptiles, iguanas are cold-blooded animals, which means they need the sun to regulate their body temperature.
To ensure they do not come close to your chicken, keep places like rocks, sidewalks, and logs covered.
Keep a Rooster
A rooster is a great way to keep the chickens safe. The main job of a rooster is to protect the flock from danger, even if it means costing their own life.
If an iguana comes within range, the rooster will crow loudly to alert the flock of danger. This will give the chickens enough time to run for cover.
If the iguana gets too close to the flock, the rooster will fight the lizard.
Install Sprinkler System
Install a sprinkler system around your entire yard to keep the iguanas away. You can install one that is motion-activated so every time an iguana comes within range, it will activate the sprinkler system. It will spray water on the iguana, which will scare them away.
Iguana Repellant
If you can seem to find any of the methods above that works, you can give Iguana Blocker- All Natural Repellant a try. It doesn’t kill or even hurt the iguanas. It is biodegradable and safe to use.
All you need to do is spray it around the chicken coop or around the entire yard. This will prevent the iguanas from coming into your yard. Once they smell the repellant, it will drive them away.
Do Pet Iguanas Eat Chickens?
Iguanas are a popular pet to have. For that reason, most people will wonder if their pet iguana will eat chickens.
The simple answer is, YES! If an opportunity arises, the iguana will waste no time attacking and killing the chickens. However, they will only go after smaller chickens and their eggs.
Therefore, keep the iguana in their own area, so they have no way to get to the chickens.
Other Animals That Eat Chickens
Badgers
Badgers are powerful animals and able to kill a chicken quickly. This animal will find a way to get into the coop and eat the chicken.
Minks
Minks are small, yet agile creatures. They will kill and eat a chicken when an opportunity arises. Most of the time, they will prey on young or sick chickens. Minks will also eat chicken eggs.
Skunks
Skunks are not aggressive creatures, but they are known to kill and eat chickens. As long as the chicken coop is secured, the skunks tend to leave them alone.
Conclusion
Iguana doesn’t look at chicken as food, since they are plant eaters. However, when vegetation becomes scarce, they will hunt and eat chickens. To keep your flock safe from an iguana, there are different methods that I’ve outlined above that you can use.
