Are gophers dangerous?

[christineavatar]

I was just reading some postings about predators and got to thinking about the gopher holes that I have found in the chicken coop. When I asked some people locally they said that they were not a problem to the chickens or the coop. Is that true?

 

[flnatv]

I don't think they would be... I believe they are herbivores.

 

[woodmort]

Don't stick you hand down the holes--they bite. Otherwise they shouldn't be a problem other than by allowing snakes and weasels to gain entry to the chicken yard.

 

[aggie9296]

They are not dangerous to chickens. But the chickens may be a danger to the gophers if one pops up into the run. They may eat it.

 

[bryan99705]

Only danger I can think of is if they discover and like the chicken feed. May want to store the extra feed in a metal trash can.

 

[mjuenem]

They will destroy the chicken's garden.

 

[TreeHugger]

Not dangerous but they can tear up a yard. I have them everywhere & I feel bad when one of my cats catch one. They are kinda cute & don't move very fast.

 

[christineavatar]

Thanks, everyone! The gophers have found the chicken feed but I also believe that the chickens have found the gophers - or at least they have not re-dug the gopher tunnel I found under the feeder.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

We don't have the full-sized gophers the northern states do here in Florida. Just the little pocket gophers that are about as big as your thumb. These last two years one has made the mistake of tunneling into my henyard. The first one was actually on his third mound before the hens got him.