Do Racoons kill chickens and ducks?

[dancingbear]

I use a live trap to catch them. I read somewhere that a raccoon can't resist marshmallows, (I also didn't want to waste time catching and releasing my own cats, so marshmallows are a good bait choice for me) and it appears to be true. I baited the trap with 4 or 5 big fat marshmallows, placed so they couldn't reach them by reaching through the holes. I caught 4 raccoons in about a week.

Another had been treed by our dogs, just outside our house, a few weeks before that.

 

[PortageGirl]

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As a caution to those who don't know, raccoons are EXTREMELY dangerous to your dogs if they are cornered. They WILL try to run away or up a tree if a dog chases them, but if they are cornered they will rip most dogs apart. Even experienced coon hounds get killed by them on occasion, (killed outright or injured so bad they can't be saved.)

They'll also kill cats snoozing on their own porch and grab kittens out of a mother cat's nest if she has them out in a barn etc. They're quite powerful and mama cat can't do a thing to stop them even if she's around.

They've really adapted and learned to thrive in most towns, neighborhoods, villages and believe it or not, even in large cities, they've actually become somewhat common sights in New York City to those who know what and where to watch for them.

 

[dancingbear]

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That's true, and I know that raccoons have been known to drown dogs, if they can get them in water.

I wouldn't deliberately send my dogs out after raccoons. As fond as I am of the chickens, I'd rather lose a chicken than one of my dogs.

We have a little enclosed feeding station for three of our cats, because they had to be banished from the house after they developed disagreeable habits. (they kept peeing all over the house) A raccoon had found the cat food. We didn't know it was there, and let the dogs out. They dashed around the corner of the house, and started raising a ruckus. We ran out to see what was happening, and saw Cleo fighting with a raccoon, (surrounded by the other three dogs, barking madly) just before it broke away from her and ran up the tree.

My DH got the rifle and shot it, and I skinned it, dressed it, brined it for a few days, and cooked it up.

I keep the rabies shots up to date.

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

Here is what raccoons did to our run this past weekend. Fortunately, they didn't get into the coop. So off to Tractor Supply and a $150.00 solar electric fence! Hopefully that will stop them. We think our eggs are now up to $17.50 a dozen!!

Someone said it all "chicken wire is intended to keep chickens in"

Good luck

Sandee

 

[GlenwoodFarm]

Raccoons R EVIL!!!!

 

[Sebrite_97]

Dude..... U GOT 2 BE KIDDIN ME!!!! Raccoons will literally knaw threw chicken wire jst 2 gt an egg! wat do u think will happen 2 som ducks or hens.... even a mean old rooster is fair game!

 

[Chickenberry]

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OH MY GOSH! This happened to one of our chicken just last night! My husband told me something had got ahold of one of the hens last night. I went out to look and she literally looked like she had been pulled through the fence by the neck (she was stuck in the fence). Her throat was eaten and her insides.. all completely gone. (Sorry if graphic) I've not EVER seen anything like it! Our rooster had flown over the coop in his excitement and fear and was in the yard. We have had our chickens close to a year without one predator mishap like this. Now I'm reading that they will continue to come back if not caught? This one of the very few times our dog wasn't in the yard (she was inside for the night~ she's usually out) and sure she would have caused a ruckus!

So, what to do from here? When they roost at night shut them up and then set out a trap??

I'm heartbroken!!!

 

[NonnasBabies]

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How was your chicken wire attached??? Sure doesn't look like it was ripped.....

 

[Jschaaff]

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Yes. Have over 30 of my chickens in the last two months. Another coon in the havaheart trap today. A huge one. Yes, unfortunately, they will definitely kill chickens and ducks, and have sucessfully figured out how to undo the locks we had on our pen. A second lock that is totally different from what you already have on there, might help, just to ensure they are infact safe in there.

As for the ducks, I've never raised them, but with what I've recently been through, and my girls and guys were locked up tight, it sounds like an invitation for the coons

I hope they stay safe!

-Jessa

 

[BlackBart]

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Good thinking. You might want to really think about all the places the Coon can access the coop. Even if the coon can't get in but walks all over the roof at night it upsets the chickens.