Raccoon droppings spotted near coop!

Zamanthia said:

We had our first encounter with a raccoon last night.   I went to the back door to check on a kitten that got dumped in our yard when I saw the masked bandit picking up cucumber scraps the chickens had left in the grass.  I yelled for my hubby to come quick.  He sees the raccoon and takes off for his gun.  Even with all that commotion, it was still foraging in the grass!  It did take off running when he went out the door with his shotgun.  Unfortunately, it or some of it's brethren had gotten our newest Buff  :

I am thinking we are adding electricity to our run this weekend and a better cover over the top!

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. Omg I'm sorry to hear that! I have a buff orphianton rooster I adore so much, that's so sad. How did he get in?

Probably over the top as our bird netting has gotten slack and pulled loose in a couple of places. I was thinking of replacing the bird netting with shade cloth anyways, so now it makes even more sense. Shade cloth on top and a hot wire around the exterior sounds like a plan! I don't want to see more dead chickens!

My coop and run, still not stained!



It's on an old building foundation, very secure. Mary

Folly's place said:

My coop and run, still not stained! It's on an old building foundation, very secure. Mary

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very nice! how many chickens do you have? We have 3.... the two hens was just for our stray buff orpington rooster to have for company lol they don't even lay eggs anymore. I'm thinking about getting the hot wire. Working on night 3 with Raccoon trap How many nights should I Keep Doing that? I haven't seen any signs of him.

It's on an old foundation, about 24' x'14' total. Love it! How about the three shades of shingles? The bent tube gate? The weeds and scraps? Definitely not suburbia! I overwinter about 35 birds, including bantams. Right now, with many chicks of different ages, about 75 (or so?). Many will be leaving before winter! Mary

Folly's place said:

It's on an old foundation, about 24' x'14' total.  Love it!  How about the three shades of shingles?  The bent tube gate?  The weeds and scraps?  Definitely not suburbia!  I overwinter about 35 birds, including bantams.  Right now, with many chicks of different ages, about 75 (or so?).  Many will be leaving before winter!  Mary

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. Our old coop that's been on this property forever is old barn wood with metal roof I wanted to use it because it's huge with windows but needed a new roof and it's right there close to the woods I told my husband I didn't want to use it because it's so close to the woods. I need them close to me I feel lol I worry too much

The original section of this coop was here, old and needing help. We reroofed and sided it, and moved it to this location, and have since done two additions (that's why the different shingles!) Love it! You will have predators wherever your coop is situated, and a usable building is a gift. My coop has a spruce fencerow on the west side, and trees and shrubs on the north and south sides. Shade, cover, bugs, and worms right there, and the flock loves it. Mary

I have a similar situation to the OP. We had our barn inspected today for repairs and found several piles of what the builder said was raccoon scat on the second floor. But we have never lost any chickens to raccoons, even when they were free ranging earlier last summer. (they are now inside fencing)
I doesn't seem that a raccoon would live above our chickens, and have access to them every day with only a chain link fence protecting them and not attack them. It would be easy enough for him to get inside the coop in the evening before we lock the girls inside.

Our coop is very secure (or so I thought until reading some posts here) It has a concrete floor, 1/4 inch hardware cloth on all windows, and as far as I know no openings big enough for weasel let alone a raccoon). But of course the chickens are vulnerable while outside the coop during the day-and at times we are late locking them inside-so why haven't I lost any to raccoons? Maybe it's not raccoon scat. Other ideas for what might live upstairs in a barn? I think a cat would poop outside but I cannot be sure. We have had cats find their way in before-and recently had our barn cat killed by a new one who wants the territory.
I can't think of any other animal that would live there and NOT kill my chickens. (opossum, skunk, weasel)