35 dead chickens. Coons, maybe weasels : Update Post #45

[Jschaaff]

Halo, thank you, after reading your post, I am going to give TSC a call today and see what their prices are. I do not understand how the whole charger, and wires work, the set up part of it, but I am sure I can find tons of info on line.. I was looking at poultry fencing, which 42" high, and already attached to the posts, you plug in the charger and have a movable, 164' long electric fence. If running the single wire strands to t posts or something of the sort is cheaper than I definitely want to look into that. I think an electric fence is the only way I am going to rest easy, even if hubby built Fort Knox (*cough*... and um..I know that isn't going to happen *loving, annoyed smile*)

My11babychicks: I just checked our Zareba- definitely a great product! Still at the (waaaay) high end of my price range, but a great option, thank you.

Thank you Suki'smom

-Jessa

 

[Nicole01]

I'm so very sorry.

. I didn't read the responses, but have you tried moth balls around the coop? Also I'd be looking into an electric fence if possible. Good luck.

 

[Ole rooster]

Wow, what a story. Really something for us all the look at. On the screws, I screwed every board of window trim with 3 screws. I used 2 and a half inch screws so they would reach the stud. If something pulls them out, I need to set up at night with my 300 mag. The post that ask if you had coons on steroids has me wondering. Just what you do have. Would a badger or such animal go after chickens? If these animals are that aggressive with that kind of strength, how does hardware cloth deter them?

It really a shame you have to endure something like this. Really sorry for your grief.

What a story.

 

[rancher hicks]

I am sorry for your loss to be sure.

However I would like to suggest a few things.

1. put in new padlocks but bolt them in using pressure treated 2x4's. These are heavier than standard pine 2x4's. At least use the pressure treated on the door parts of the coop.

2. You must find a way to eliminate the predators. Clearly they've found a feast and will be back. Do whatever you must, whether traps, guns or poison. If you can't shoot a gun and try a bow and arrow.

3. Are you sure what your dealing with is coons? I only say this cuz the Black bear is making a come back. Of course I have only one experience with coons and that was in the beginning. I now have a new hoop coop and may have another. I haven't seen any coons as big as the one's posted here though.

Finally you must go into WAR mode. This is WAR and you must not give in to the enemy. Whatever you do you must eliminate the enemy or he will keep coming back. Electric fencing can only do so much.

Take care and I hope things work out,

Rancher

 

[MeadowBrookFarm]

Jessa,

I'm dittoing you. I've been off the forum for a couple of weeks because I lost all 26 of my month-olds to a raccoon. Actually, to four raccoons. One night they got five. Then we reinforced the coop and put up electrical wire. This worked for a few weeks until one night the ground wire came off the ground rod, rendering our electric fence inoperative. That was the night they got 21. Killed them all but only ate 3. We've spotted four raccoons that circle our electric fence every night. As long as the fence was hot, they didn't bother it. We did keep them locked up in a coop inside the electric fence, but they were able to pry the door open.

I've got little kids so I'm not comfortable getting a gun. Plus, we're only on 5 acres, so I'm not sure it's legal to shoot so close to a neighbor. The Dept of Conservation says to trap and relocate. But where to relocate to??? Not on their lands, they tell me. So I'm just supposed to dump a raccoon on someone else's property?

We've tried rat poison night after night, and they just gobble it up and come back the next night for more. We tried gopher poison. Same story. Not only have they devoured our chickens, but they also climbed into a mature peach tree full of ripe peaches and ate EVERY SINGLE ONE. We woke up the next morning to seeds all over the ground and the tree bare.

They seem to really like our property because now that they've gotten all our poultry and produce, they're going through our trash cans.

So, I'm thinking we need to trap first and then feed a strong poison of some kind and then bury. Any thoughts on this? Or other suggestions?

 

[Jschaaff]

Quote:
Oh I feel so bad. I wish bad stuff only happened to me. Would suck for me, but would make a much happier world! Hugs to you, first.

First the gun issue. You can only go by what feels best for you. I grew up with guns, it's the norm for me but I completely get why you would not be comfortable, having a gun with little ones. Honestly, having guns hasn't made this any easier here, except the actual dispatching of the trapped critters. On five acres, you should be able to shoot if you ever decide you are at that point. Here the law is, you can not shoot within 300 feet of a dwelling. But for now, since a gun is not an option, it may be easier for you to find someone (any hunting friends?) who would be willing to dispatch of the coons when you catch them.

It may be very difficult to get a trapped raccoon to eat something (with poison) while it's in the cage as they are usually so distraught and stressed, at that point (and maybe the ONLY time in their lives!) they wont be particulary interested in food.

As far as relocating, I've read that raccoons need to be relocated at LEAST five miles away from where you captured them, as they will just return home and like you said, where exactly are you supposed to relocate them too? Perhaps the steps of the Deptartment of Conservation?

Okay okay, maybe not

(Someone one on here mentioned they bring the cage to the humane society who takes care of the raccoon (ie...nighty night). I don't know if there is a cost, but this might be a good option.

And again, there is always the option if you have a friend who would be willing to come to your property, take the cage to a remote spot and shoot the animal (thru the cage, no chance for escape), and then you can bury the carcass.

As for the real problem, protecting the chickens from the darn things, I am obviously not doing well with that here. Right now the door of my tractor/pen looks like Fort Knox lol, but I am hard pressed to believe the racoons wont find some way in. As silly as it sounds, putting multiple locks on your door, of different types, might help in case your electric fence ever stops again.

As for the peach tree, the only way I've ever seen to stop them (on my dads property) is to sit out there and actually shoot them down as they come. But we still always lost most of our peach crop

Big hugs to you. Are you planning on getting more, and starting over soon?

-Jessa

 

[MeadowBrookFarm]

I actually have another group of 13 hens that I keep in my barn stall that is extremely fortified in hardware cloth. The 26 that the raccoon got were my month-old babies that I was keeping in a tractor close to the house so I could monitor them more easily. The tractor is obviously not as secure as the barn. However, the side of the barn that their run is on is not in sight, so I'm reluctant to let my 13 out into their run. I don't want to lose any more because it'll be spring before I order any more babies. I may get a rooster, though, in the hopes that one of the hens goes broody and we can raise our own.

 

[CheekyChicky44]

Can you change the location? I would think that whatever is doing it is getting accustomed to your tractor as a food supply, and is just putting in more effort each time because it knows that it pays off. I have locks screwed into thick pieces of wood on mine because Raccoons are pretty dexterous, and I don’t always trust people either. Also, we dug into the ground, when we built the coop, about a foot and put paving stones around the perimeter and set the frame on that, to keep from things getting in from the bottom.I live in the city so I don’t know about this or how much work or cost is involved but maybe you could line the tractors frame with electric fence material and only have it on at night? That might be enough to deter them. If it worked right it would shock them whenever they tried to compromise the tractors integrity. Just a thought, hope you find a solution. Hang in there and feel better.

-Paula

 

[Jschaaff]

Quote:
I know its so hard to lose them, especially that many. Were yours cornish x's? I'm on batch number 4 (only batch ever made it to the freezer

) and really praying that everything works out this time. Once the babies are out of the brooder, we've decided to run the baby monitor out in the pen, because we just can not hear anything that goes out there from the house. Now, this experiment may be short lived as those peepers make sooo much noise, I don't know if I'll be able to take it all night, but we'll try! The hope is that if something ever breaches "Fort Knox" again, we'll be able to get out there before we lose everyone. I could not take getting wiped out again!

 

[Jschaaff]

Quote:
Thanks Paula

I agree on the location thing. I never thought of that, when we move our tractor, it only goes about 6 feet over at time, always in the same area...it's like driving to your local Mcdonalds...you know it will always be there when you're hungry! Even moving it to a different location, they will find it of course, but it might help a bit, instead of advertising them in the same spot I have been for three months.

Hubby put his foot down, and so no to the electric fence for now. Personally I think its brilliant, but he's not on board. So for now, I have to hope that 10,000 locks, the metal bar across the front of the door, switching the hinges to the top of the door (just to make it different then it had been), putting a baby monitor out there so I can hear what's going on, and keeping the havaheart trap baited right next to the coop at night (hopng the coons will go for the easy meal) will keep my new babies safe. I need the brooder for my 60 quail babies, so will have to move the new cornish babies into the tractor this week, and finish brooding them out there.

I JUST realized....We never have had a problem the first few weeks...MAYBE its the red light heat lamp that keeps them away... I'm surprised, I'd figure it would be like keeping chicken fingers warm under those lights at the Walmart Deli lol... but just thinking "out loud" here... I usually turn the lamp off when they 3 weeks old...I've lost the last two batches when they were 4 weeks old...
Maybe a red light bulb, not a heat lamp..but a regular red light bulb would help?!..... hmmm