Squirrels are one of the most famous varieties of rodents around the world. There are different kinds of squirrels available like the ground squirrel, the tree squirrel, and the flying squirrel. Today, we are going to discuss and find out whether squirrels eat chicken eggs or not.
Do squirrels eat chicken eggs?
Squirrels are known for eating chicken eggs due to the nutritional value chicken eggs provide. But squirrels can only eat raw chicken eggs and can not digest boiled and scrambled eggs. Squirrels are sometimes accused of stealing chicken eggs from the chicken coop.
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Let’s discuss different types of squirrels to find out if they eat chicken eggs.
Ground squirrels:
Ground squirrels got their name for living on the ground area. This variety of squirrels is famous for the control of their hind legs.
Ground squirrels are known for being omnivorous animals. Ground squirrels are very adaptable in any situation it finds itself. Any kind of bird egg is one of the most favorite foods of ground squirrels.
Chicken eggs are no exception in this case as ground squirrels can be seen feasting on chicken eggs.
You will notice ground squirrels collecting chicken eggs at every chance they get. So you will need to protect your chicken and its eggs from constant invasion of ground squirrels.
Gray squirrels:
Gray squirrels belong to the variety of tree squirrels. They are known for being very good climbers. Gray squirrels are also omnivorous animals just like ground squirrels.
Birds’ eggs , particularly chicken eggs, are very much liked by gray squirrels. Gray squirrels are excessively invasive in nature and can be seen stealing the chicken eggs from the farm. Gray squirrels enjoy the taste provided by chicken eggs.
Can squirrels eat raw chicken eggs?
Squirrels are known for eating raw chicken eggs. In fact, the chicken egg in its raw form is the best for the health of a squirrel. Despite being omnivorous, squirrels can not digest other forms of chicken eggs like cooked eggs, scrambled eggs, and boiled eggs.
Raw chicken eggs hold lots of nutritional value for squirrels. They are rich in protein, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium. Squirrels need these food components for their optimum growth.
There are also other nutrients available in raw chicken eggs that help the growth of squirrels.
Squirrels are mainly known for eating nuts and fruits. But they can be seen searching for bird eggs including chicken eggs for the taste and nutrients they provide. If you are looking to pet a squirrel or planning to feed a squirrel, you will need to serve them raw chickens.
You will have to refrain yourself from serving them boiled, scrambled and cooked chicken eggs.
How do squirrels eat chicken eggs?
Squirrels eat chicken eggs in their raw form. A squirrel’s digestive system is not built strong enough to digest scrambled and boiled forms of chicken eggs. That is why you will find squirrels eating chicken eggs raw.
Squirrels love eating chicken eggs so much that they will go to the length of stealing them from the chicken farm or nest. Squirrels know that chicken eggs are beneficial for their body and take steps to secure chicken eggs as part of their daily diet.
Squirrels will usually steal eggs from a chicken’s nest or coop and eat them raw in no time.
How do I keep squirrels from eating my chicken eggs?
Chicken farm owners often face the problem of squirrel invasion. However, there are some steps you can take to keep squirrels from eating your chicken eggs. Let’s discuss them in detail.
Make your property unlivable:
The reason that your home is facing an invasion of squirrels is due to the fact it is very livable for squirrels. That is why you will need to get rid of any squirrel nest from your home.
You will also have to alter the environment of your home so that squirrels do not attempt to live here in the future. If there is no squirrel living on your property, the chicken eggs will be safe. You will also need to get rid of the possible hiding places of squirrels.
Squirrel-proof your coop:
Squirrels are known for chewing through the wood of chicken coops in order to get to the chicken eggs. This makes it excessively challenging to keep your chicken eggs safe from squirrels.
However, you can keep your chicken coop safe by finding out the possible entry points of squirrels. You can seal those entry points using only hardware cloth. You will also have to make sure that there is no hiding place left around the area of your chicken coop.
You will also need to get rid of any compost heaps around the chicken coop. Because compost heaps are a preferable hiding place of squirrels
Stop feeding them:
You might be indirectly responsible for the infestation of squirrels on your property and your chicken coop. You will have to eliminate the food sources of squirrels. Otherwise, squirrels will keep living on your property as long as they get their share of food.
Gather eggs regularly:
You will need to address the problem of squirrels eating your chicken eggs by becoming proactive. You will have to gather the chicken eggs regularly so that squirrels do not get the opportunity to steal and eat your chicken eggs.
Use squirrel repellents:
You can try to use natural squirrel repellents to protect your chicken eggs. You can spray hot pepper and cayenne pepper around the area of your chicken coop to keep away squirrels. Squirrels do not enjoy the smell of hot pepper and cayenne pepper.
Another smell squirrels dislike is the smell of garlic. So you can also use garlic spray along with vinegar to keep squirrels from eating your chicken eggs.
You can further plant squirrel repellent plants like daffodil, lily, and geranium around your house and the chicken coop. This will keep the squirrels away for good. You can even use peppermint essential oil to get rid of squirrels.
Seek help:
If you can not keep squirrels from eating your chicken coop even after implementing all these steps and methods, then you should contact an animal expert to help you in this case.
Do squirrels steal chicken eggs?
Squirrels are known for stealing chicken eggs from time to time. They are often found chewing through the chicken coop in order to steal the chicken eggs. Chicken coop owners usually face this kind of problem when there are squirrels living nearby.
The ground or the tree squirrels will come out at night to look for food in the chicken coop. They will either steal the baby chicks or the chicken eggs when they make it through the chicken coop fence. The chicken eggs are enjoyed by squirrels for the taste and nutrients they offer.
Squirrels eating chicken eggs can become a regular problem for chicken farm owners if preventive measures are not taken soon enough.
Why do squirrels steal chicken eggs?
The first and the most important reason why squirrels steal chicken eggs is that they know how valuable chicken eggs are for their body and growth. Chicken eggs possess a variety of vitamins and minerals that squirrels require for their natural growth and health.
That is why squirrels steal chicken eggs to cover the nutrients provided by chicken eggs. Sometimes not getting enough food can drive squirrels to steal more chicken eggs than needed.
Squirrels eating chicken eggs can become a serious problem if there is no other source of food available for squirrels.
How do you squirrel proof a chicken coop?
Making your chicken coop squirrel proof might seem like a daunting task if you do not have any previous experience. However, there are some methods you can try that will help you in the long run.
As squirrels can chew through the wood of your chicken feed, you can start by closing the entry points of the chicken coop with the help of hardware cloth.
Spreading and spraying natural squirrel repellents like hot pepper, cayenne pepper, vinegar, garlic, peppermint oil around the chicken coop can also help you to make it squirrel proof. You can also attach wire around the fence of your chicken coop to keep the squirrels away.
You can also make your chicken coop squirrel proof by securing the chicken feeder.
Final Thoughts
Squirrels love eating chicken eggs so much that they are known for stealing them from the chicken coops. Chicken coop owners find it difficult to squirrel proof their chicken coops when this happens. But natural squirrel repellents can be used to stop squirrels from stealing chicken eggs.