Would a rooster help?

[torilovessmiles]

Is there any chance that your coop is close enough to your house that a street light could help? We have one in our driveway that illuminates the entire hillside at night. It really seems to deter nocturnal predators!

 

[rachellou76]

That's what I don't get. We have lights on all night. The light in the barn is on. The heat light over the coop is on (it's been below zero lately). The light outside in the run is on. I thought that would be enough to keep the nocturnal predators away.

 

[torilovessmiles]

That's what I don't get. We have lights on all night. The light in the barn is on. The heat light over the coop is on (it's been below zero lately). The light outside in the run is on. I thought that would be enough to keep the nocturnal predators away.

Those are some persistent raccoons! Hopefully the trap will work. I do know that raccoons LOVE cat food, we've caught several with it. The best bait we've used so far was cat food!

 

[jhm47]

Get a dogproof coon trap. They are safe (you don't have to worry about catching non-target species), and catch coons much better than a live trap. I got one to protect my birds, and caught 6 coons in a week. They are easy to bait, just put in a couple handfuls of cat food. Just be SURE that they are staked down extremely well. Mine got dragged away by a large coon, and it was wired to two large cement blocks. The coon dragged it nearly a half mile before I caught up with him. Coons are unbelievably strong, and can do things that nobody would believe. Good luck!

 

[rachellou76]

Wow! That's crazy. I wouldn't think a coon could be that strong.

When you guys mention cat food, do you mean canned or dry? Does it matter?

 

[torilovessmiles]

Either works well, but canned is more fragrant and enticing

 

[CrazyTalk]

My issue with using canned (or tuna like some people us in traps) is that it STINKS - which means you may attract animals that weren't the actual problem. You want to catch the raccoon that killed a chicken, not every raccoon in 5 miles.

 

[rachellou76]

Update: We trapped a coon!!! He will no longer be bothering my chickens. We reset the trap just in case there are more in the area and secured the coop better.

 

[gimmie birdies]

be careful! the are germy.