2018 Newbie Chat!

[Anna Ranieri]

Just a thought about you not being able to post pics. It's possible that your pics are too large. with most digital cameras now have high MP capability, the pics are typically quite large. There is a cool program that can make them into thumbnails of any size you want and it can do several at a time. It is called Easy Thumbnails and it is free. It is on Fookes .com.... I didn't know if I could post the actual link, so you would have to take the space out before the .com part. But it is handy, you can set it up to make your pics 600pixel on the shortest side and that is plenty big enough for the forums. (and it's FREE!)

Thank you for the tip, I will certainly give it a try - I'm not very good with technology and such so I will ask my daughter to look at it for me when she has the time. I really appreciate all your help and advice - one of the greatest things about the BYC users is your willingness to help, advise and share your valuable knowledge, I stumbled across BYC by accident and I am so glad I did! Thank you for your part in making my experience on here such a pleasurable one - have never before met so many nice people in one place at the same time - such an amazing experience and I thank you all

 

[Anna Ranieri]

They are driving me nuts. I put up an electric fence and used 8 strands. Someone said it was overkill, I say I wish I could could go all the way around--the top and bottom.

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From what I've read about raccoons there's no such thing as overkill - I feel for you having a predator such as this, we have nothing here which would go to the lengths raccoons do to get at prey - can imagine the amount of worry and stress they cause, not to mention the devastation when they do manage to break in - from what I've read and heard, even the foxes in your country go to greater lengths than ours do here - the foxes here want easy prey and don't like to have to work for it - really feel for you on this matter but am confident about the lengths you go to protect your flock. Just wondering are raccoons a threat to your cats and dogs too?

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Thanks! They were fine this morning.

Great news! I was wondering how you got on

 

[llombardo]

From what I've read about raccoons there's no such thing as overkill - I feel for you having a predator such as this, we have nothing here which would go to the lengths raccoons do to get at prey - can imagine the amount of worry and stress they cause, not to mention the devastation when they do manage to break in - from what I've read and heard, even the foxes in your country go to greater lengths than ours do here - the foxes here want easy prey and don't like to have to work for it - really feel for you on this matter but am confident about the lengths you go to protect your flock. Just wondering are raccoons a threat to your cats and dogs too?

My cats are indoor only. I do worry about my dogs getting into it with a raccoon. I really don't want that to happen. I don't want anything to end up dead or even injured, just away from the area. The dogs stare at the raccoons in the trees and the raccoons stare right back.

 

[BBZZZZTT]

From what I've read about raccoons there's no such thing as overkill - I feel for you having a predator such as this, we have nothing here which would go to the lengths raccoons do to get at prey - can imagine the amount of worry and stress they cause, not to mention the devastation when they do manage to break in - from what I've read and heard, even the foxes in your country go to greater lengths than ours do here - the foxes here want easy prey and don't like to have to work for it - really feel for you on this matter but am confident about the lengths you go to protect your flock. Just wondering are raccoons a threat to your cats and dogs too?

I have never heard of raccoons being a threat to dogs or cats, but I could definitely see danger in unguarded kittens.
For the most part raccoons are scared of dogs, and humans, until they learn they can steal a lot of good snacks from campers or trash cans. They really don't even look all that threatening. Most people who don't keep poultry don't even regard them as predators, but rather a nuisance that will knock over your trash cans looking for food.
I know I was surprised to hear how vicious they could be if they get their little paws on a chicken. Their little feet are so cute and they even wash their food before eating it. I think they're just kinda cute fat trash pandas.

 

[BBZZZZTT]

But then again I live in the city where raccoons are fat

 

[PNW_Peepers]

Where I live raccoons are a pretty real threat to house pets. My sister and her two chihuahua were attacked a few years back by one, injured both her dogs. Luckily both dogs had rabies vaccines.

 

[Kat2141]

I have never heard of raccoons being a threat to dogs or cats, but I could definitely see danger in unguarded kittens.
For the most part raccoons are scared of dogs, and humans, until they learn they can steal a lot of good snacks from campers or trash cans. They really don't even look all that threatening. Most people who don't keep poultry don't even regard them as predators, but rather a nuisance that will knock over your trash cans looking for food.
I know I was surprised to hear how vicious they could be if they get their little paws on a chicken. Their little feet are so cute and they even wash their food before eating it. I think they're just kinda cute fat trash pandas.

I didn't realize they were such a threat either. A raccoon kept getting in with 2 of my MIL's hens and ate their food but never bothered the girls. We didnt know what it was until we set up a camera. Then used a have-a-heart trap and put him back out in the woods where he belonged. He didn't come back luckily.

 

[CannedMonster]

I like your coop... mine like to go up high too and they did a lot of crash landings. Then I had one girl that had gotten stepped on accidentally and was sore. Not broken but limping. I didn't want her to crash land on her sore leg so I put a 2x4 ramp in so she could get down without getting hurt. All of them used the ramp! so I left it in even after she was healed. Now there are boards all around at different heights for them and a couple ramps. I just wrapped Vetrap around them a few inches apart to help with sliding. They typically go down the ramp until they are about 3' above the floor and then jump. I never see them come straight off the high spots anymore.

Hmmm...a ramp is a good idea. I’ll check into that.
Thanks!

 

[Kat2141]

Hmmm...a ramp is a good idea. I’ll check into that.
Thanks!

This is a video that I did for my sister to show her how they use it (and it was before I thought about the vetrap)... The highest place for them to hang out is actually on the wall behind the camera, even with the top board you see on the wall, but in the mornings, they hang out on the roof of the nest box (on the left) waiting for me to open their door. And, no, I've never seen them use the swing and I finally took it down.