We met our first predator-raccoon! UPDATE: 7/14

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ThePolishPrincess

ThePolishPrincess

Songster
11 Years
Dec 29, 2008
2,944
40
181
Orange County, New York
I am not a killer. I am just a girl who has been met with the great rage and hurt one feels when they have lost a truly special bird. As can be indirectly seen here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=365540

My Camille and her buddy who yet lives, Monique, were being prepared to have a wonderful life, being well-fed and given the love and respect I give my birds until the day they die. But Camille met her end two nights ago at the paws of some vermin raccoons (we found pawprints on the windows). The fault is mine for not closing off the rafters when we first built the coop about 3 years ago. And I am very, very sorry the fact was not dealt with before an innocent life was taken. But it is what it is. My pullet was probably still alive when the beastly thing began ripping her wing from her body, and suffered a terrible death. And my Monique is not only friend-less, but has suffered horrible trauma having witnessed the ordeal. We are trying to get by and thought we will never meet the killers face to face. But tonight, I went outside to lock up the animals and was met with a mother racoon and her 3 (I think) cubs, her den just yards from our chicken coop!

We have set a live-trap near the den and baited it with sausage. I am no killer. If I looked at myself a week ago, I wouldn't recognize what I have become. I could never see myself taking a life. But this can happen again, and I cannot be faced with the bitter sights of my former pets, torn apart. My Camille could have been a treasured bird someday, and will never have the chance to enjoy this world again. The family of raccoons has moved into the wrong territory. And they have made an enemy out of me.
 
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Hate raccoons. Even before I had chickens, I HATE them! They carry horrible diseases, get into everything and I HATE them!! If I had the opportunity, I would kill every stinkin one of them right now and smile while doing it. Did I mention I HATE them?
 
I am so sorry about your Camille.
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I have a Faverolle from Meyer's...they are sweet gentle souls. Those coons need to be killed darling. You cannot relocate him successfully and they will kill your birds...Mama is teaching them where the food is and they are so patient in working on getting inside. If you get them in the trap, have your dad dispatch them.

Good luck in catching them. Just take time with your Monique...she will be okay in time with lots of reassurance, love and patience.
 
I am very sorry to what happened to your Camille. It is right that the racoons that took the life of Camille must die.
 
I'm so sorry for your loss.. My rooster was killed by a raccoon two days ago, and I still can't believe that this has happened to me. My father set up a live trap shortly after and later that morning we caught it. There was no hesitation with what to do with it. It will NOT be coming back. We will continue to set the trap. So far, we haven't caught any more.
 
I am an animal lover and was a city girl until recently. When I moved to Grass Valley I was witness to the shooting of dogs who were attacking new foals on the ground. It was a real wake up call. This is not an unneeded death though I don't think. You need to protect yourself and your charges (whether that be livestock, pets, kids, property) by the most reliable means possible. I've heard so many stories of racoons returning that I can't think relocation would work. I've nearly lost cats and dogs to racoons (they lure the dogs into the water and drown them, saw a friend lost his 2,000 dollar Gordon Retreiver to that) and now on the ranch I worked at they kill every racoon that crosses the wrong path into their property.

A racoon would defend IT'S posessions and territory to the death, right?

I am sorry this is hard though, but it's a step forward I think. You are not killing without mercy or reason it sounds to me.
 
Thank you everyone.
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We have been SO lucky with predators over the years. Saw a fox about 2 years ago trotting through the woods, never saw it again after that. A few months after, one of our hens was attacked by a hawk and escaped it's cluthces only missing a few feathers. But now this. I cannot rid myself of the horrible images of my poor bird.

But things return to normal. Monique is slowly being integrated into our adult flock. She's doing very well. She is being fed her food outside the run while the adults eat theirs. In time, we'll both heal. Every morning and evening I give her a big kiss and tell her I will give her justice. I've already gotten a start on that.

I hate the thought of killing someone's baby, but our trap has finally worked and we caught our first of the coons last night. Mama will be tough, but she brought this upon herself. She will meet her end. The young coon we caught was dispatched by my father late this morning. I brought Monique inside with me while he was doing the deed. She's too innocent for this. And after what we've gone through, I still felt my heart sink into my stomach when I heard the gun fire. The raccoon was not welcome, and I had no choice but to finish what they had started, but I was killing someone's baby.

They will all be reunited soon enough. This must be taken care of soon. We're planning to go on vacation in a few weeks and I don't think our neighbors will take care of our flock the way we do.
 
I'm very sorry about Camille. I read your other post and can relate to it. My chickens are all bffls (best friends for life) and I couldn't even imagine what it would be like if one of them dies. I agree with everyone else, it was good to get rid of those raccoons. Sure, they have lives, but there are lots of them and the world doesn't rely on them.

If you need to get rid of the other ones, you could probably ask ASPCA to move them away... preferably away from chickens.

It's horrible what happened to your chicks. Mine are a little younger, and one was almost killed by a dog. Her best friend in the flock, Poppy, started running around peeping until I caught her and put her in my garage. She was truly traumatized. Monique probably was, too. It's good that you went right to her and comforted her.

I'll pray for Monique.
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If I were to relocate them, I could be setting someone else up for the same problem. I wouldn't want to wish this upon any other poultry owner. But trust me, I've already thought of it.
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My father made a joke that when we were done with them, we could make a furry hat. But I dismissed the thought immediately. I don't want a trophy of this animal and I certainly don't want it in my house. I'm taking this as a wake-up call. What happened was horrible, but my much-adored Polish was in the same room (as well as a former-show bird who I love dearly and several other birds) and just as easy of a meal for said raccoon. Camille's death of taken hard, but I don't know how I would have lived with myself if my Polish was masacred. I loved my Camille, but she hasn't been with us as long. Doesn't make it much less painful either way. The two Faverolles had a sibling as day-olds. She passed away for unknown reasons early on. And our dog just passed away. We've seen alot of death recently. Ya'd think we'd learn to get more used to it...

Morgan, I had to read that sentence again, refering to the raccoons luring dogs into water. That's just crazy. They're smart little brutes, but wow! I was freting about our new visitors getting into our new Silkie coop, so now we have two locks on the door.
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I give them a bit too much credit, but it's worth it. And yes, we know they can be very protective. My dad said before he ended the coon's life, it was hissing and growling and blowing snot out of it's nose!
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Wonder what Mama would have been like if she were around. Yikes.
 
I have Alway's been an Avid animal lover.I had alway's thought that raccon's were these cute cuddly little berry eating vegetarian's.I had no clue until I started raising my bird's and Living out here in the nice semi suburban cow and horse country nothing was going to harm them.I don't even want to rehtink the bird's I have lost to racoon's now.I think DH actualy took down the first 2 3 years ago when We were working 2nd shift and my teenage daughter was supposed to close up We lost 26 bird's in 2 week's.We got the first one in one open coop at 2am and by then it had killed another 2 silkie's a sitting frizzle and was eating her egg's by then.He met with MR 9MM 3 times and it's been a nighmare since.GODDDDDDD where do they come from We have killed well one idiot daughter BF took other one away this week.
Resetting tomm. I didnt tonight all bird's safe in other coops and DH down in back but I will be back on the "masked bandit's"again.It give's ya a little more mindset of the survivl of the fittest scheme when you walk into your coop and feather's everywhere and your pet's your freind's your investment's and your heart's going into that bloody stinking growling spitting masked face.Im soooo sorry about your loss and don't feel bad about the racoon.DH love's animals too but he put that coon down like several other's We had to in the past.They will keep coming back and will clean out every bird you have.I AM A ROCK>I have to tell myself that everytime I have to go dump the carcass from trap.Geesh We had a possum eat cat food from bowl on front porch 2 years he never bothered anything else.Waiting on these coyote now neighbor one road over has been telling me about for 2 week's
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