Cayenne Pepper and Scaring Raccoons

[Evadig]

At midnight yesterday I was looking out my window and I saw this big dark shape approach my turkey house. My heart stopped when I saw the silhouette of a fat raccoon sitting on their unscreened porch. I ran out and scared him away but spent the next two hours watching in case he came back. Since I needed to get to sleep I googled how to scare away a raccoon and one solution was to put cayenne pepper spray around the targeted area, which I did. Has anyone ever tried this and did you have any success? I cannot eradicate this raccoon because there’s plenty more to take his place. I just want to scare him badly enough where he won’t come back.

 

[ViKulik]

Hopefully he found something easier somewhere else and lost interest. If not then You are on his nightly patrol and he will keep coming and testing the wire and latches until there are no more chickens, he gets run over, pushed out or killed by a more dominant animal, possibly one of your human neighbors. When it comes to "predator proof" pay extra attention to the corners and bottom two feet of the run. Coons like to circle till chickens run to a corner then reach out to grab them. And keep checking for damage, wire gets old and weaker over the years as they keep pulling on it and trying to find a way in.

 

[mowin]

Those tactics will work, sometimes. But at some point they won't. A predator deterrent needs to be upgraded to predator proof.
Yes, more will take that ones place eventually, but I wouldn't hesitate to shoot it.

 

[Evadig]

I have never handled a gun before in my life, sorry! And alas, I am one of those people who can’t get themselves to kill anything bigger than a mosquito. I am working on making my coops predator proof, but for now I have to make due. Thank you for the advice though .

 

[Evadig]

All my birds are moved into their new pen now. I did put cayenne pepper around their old houses while they were still living in them but I don’t know if it worked because I didn’t stay up every night to find out.
My dad shot off a couple Roman candles right at the raccoon when we had a particularly persistent visitor last year - after that we didn’t have trouble for a long time

 

[amarsano]

I have never handled a gun before in my life, sorry! And alas, I am one of those people who can’t get themselves to kill anything bigger than a mosquito. I am working on making my coops predator proof, but for now I have to make due. Thank you for the advice though .

We bought ourselves a paintball gun, voice triggers, and arrows with soft tips. We also bought a pellet gun incase we actually trap one. Freezing paint balls and shooting them WILL sting.

 

[McChooky]

This lynx was scolded for killing chickens before it was released.

 

[McChooky]

I’m planning on getting electric fencing because of the bear that I mentioned in the other thread (https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-bear….1604312/)

That should solve all land predators, no?

I wish I could guarantee it will but I can't.

 

[McChooky]

To protect them you need predator proof coops and runs.Some predators will only hunt in the cover of darkness, others will hunt in daylight only.There are no guarantees in life.

 

[Soujrnr]

Hopefully he found something easier somewhere else and lost interest. If not then You are on his nightly patrol and he will keep coming and testing the wire and latches until there are no more chickens, he gets run over, pushed out or killed by a more dominant animal, possibly one of your human neighbors. When it comes to "predator proof" pay extra attention to the corners and bottom two feet of the run. Coons like to circle till chickens run to a corner then reach out to grab them. And keep checking for damage, wire gets old and weaker over the years as they keep pulling on it and trying to find a way in.

What I find interesting is that with all of the video I have of them circling, only a couple times have I actually seen them get close enough to the wire to touch it. We do throw treats on the ground outside the coop for the girls, and it appears that they are digging around eating leftovers. As for the wiring, they can't reach in anywhere in the coop or in the run because of the 1/4" hardware cloth, which is over the top of 2x4" welded wire. Even the roof of the run is covered with that wiring, and I also have corrugated panels over that to keep the run dry. Given the predators we have here, I think only the black bears could get in.