- Jun 6, 2008
- 21
- 0
- 22
We went to dinner last night and got home slightly after dark. Wife went out to lock up the coop and starts screaming. There was a 50 to 60 lb raccoon in the coop. One Rhode Island Red Dead. We got there just in the nick of time, as he was attacking our leghorn. He will be ok, just a little bloody.
We live in suburbia and have never seen a raccoon before. We had no idea they would come out so early in the evening. I woke up several time last night and shined my flashlight out in the backyard, and at one point we had 5 raccoons sniffing around the coop. I shot them with my BB gun, but its a very low power one which probably did not hurt them much. We live in a city that prohibits the discharge of firearms, but it would not really matter if I could shoot them, because my neighbors are so close, and a stray bullet could do some harm.
I am so glad I really took my time to critter proof the coop. Gate hinges with caribiners on all doors. I hope a racoon does not know how to open a caribeaner. Would small locks be a better idea? I also laid down square fencing wire about 2 feet wide going out from the sides of the coop. Is this enough?
Upon closer inspection of the coop, I also noticed that the racoons have been pulling at the base of chicken wire. Its a little distorted and bent. Is one layer of chicken wire enough to stop a very large racoon from getting into the coop?
We live in suburbia and have never seen a raccoon before. We had no idea they would come out so early in the evening. I woke up several time last night and shined my flashlight out in the backyard, and at one point we had 5 raccoons sniffing around the coop. I shot them with my BB gun, but its a very low power one which probably did not hurt them much. We live in a city that prohibits the discharge of firearms, but it would not really matter if I could shoot them, because my neighbors are so close, and a stray bullet could do some harm.
I am so glad I really took my time to critter proof the coop. Gate hinges with caribiners on all doors. I hope a racoon does not know how to open a caribeaner. Would small locks be a better idea? I also laid down square fencing wire about 2 feet wide going out from the sides of the coop. Is this enough?
Upon closer inspection of the coop, I also noticed that the racoons have been pulling at the base of chicken wire. Its a little distorted and bent. Is one layer of chicken wire enough to stop a very large racoon from getting into the coop?