9 birds killed in 2 weeks. Warning... graphic in nature. UPDATE PG 5

[r4eboxer]

I have lost 2 pullets, 1 turkey, 2 ducks, and 4 laying hens in the last two weeks to a very brave coon. My two roosters have battle scars (one roo lost an eye) and I've got one hen with a missing foot that I have to put down today. The hens have been ripped apart and the innards eaten. IT is so sad to go into the coop in the morning to see my hen laying there with her egg laying beside her, the egg she would have laid for me that day. The coon just ripped it out of her, all 4 of them were the same way in the same place. One of my buff orphingtons is missing her foot and has to be put down.

I have two Great Pyrenees pups that are 8 months old that spend the night in the run. The coons were picking off my birds from the grow out pens but now have moved on to the coop. In the past two nights the coons have climbed up the coop and in through the air vents. They seem to know my dogs cannot get out of the run so they have gotten very brave by climbing right up beside of them. I do plan on doing additional work to the coop to secure it but these coons are not going to wait for the weekend, my DH works two jobs at 18 hr days. I can not afford to lose any more valuable hens.

I have started locking up all my free range birds at night, I have put out humane traps but the coon knows to tip it over and it can get the bait without being trapped. I put a rock on top of it and the coon won't go after the bait. I work all day and can't stay up all night with a gun waiting on the coon. Also just as a note I have not lost a bird during the day free ranging, it's always at night while confined.

So now I am thinking of poison. Before anyone points out that another animal may get into the poison let me say that I plan on locking my hens in the garage and placing hamburger laced with rat poison in an empty coop.

Now for the question... Will rat poison in a large quantity mixed with ground beef do the job?

I am not looking for opinions on the method of poison. I am looking for a poison that will work. I have read other threads about poison before posting this but the op just got a bunch of opinions on poison and not a real answer as to the success of rat poison. I also read that coke (soda or pop) is an option but I'm wondering how I get the coon to drink soda. Could I pour it over the meat in a bowl?

UPDATE PAGE 5

 

[Mike Winters]

idk it will probably cause renal failure if the coon eats alot of it after a few days but i dont know if they are stupid enough to keep eating it. and the bleeding heart club will probably give ya hell because it is less effective then a .22

 

[r4eboxer]

idk it will probably cause renal failure if the coon eats alot of it after a few days but i dont know if they are stupid enough to keep eating it. and the bleeding heart club will probably give ya hell because it is less effective then a .22

Thanks for the reply, I am hoping to get enough into the first batch of ground meat to do the job. I have found a very useful study on the effects of poison of other animals so I've got the amounts it should take to do the job. I know a gun is the best bet but the coons come around in the wee morning hours. We both work full time (hubby works 2 jobs so a gun is not going to work for us as it doesn't shoot by itself (though some people seem to think it's the gun that does the killing....but enough about politics lol)

I know the bleeding hearts club want to give me hell about poison, but the only thing that's bleeding around my place right now is a third of my flock at the hand of this coon.

 

[MIRooster]

If it's a single raccoon, get a live trap, place your ground meat in there to catch, then give him a quick execution.

The root problem IMO is the vent. It seems to me that a ladder, some hardware cloth or weld wire fence, a hammer, and some poultry netting staples would be a quick 10 minute fix to stop anything from getting in the vent.

 

[r4eboxer]

If it's a single raccoon, get a live trap, place your ground meat in there to catch, then give him a quick execution.

The root problem IMO is the vent. It seems to me that a ladder, some hardware cloth or weld wire fence, a hammer, and some poultry netting staples would be a quick 10 minute fix to stop anything from getting in the vent.

As already stated in the op I have tried a live trap and the coon is on to it, knocks it on it's side and won't go in it if secured with a rock, don't get me wrong I am going to continue to set that trap, hopefully I'll catch a few that way too. 5 of the birds were taken from grow out pens with no vents before they moved to the coop. I know I need to make some adjustments to the coop, but time is an issue and I'm not willing to lose valuable hens in the meantime.

I do have some friends with coon dogs, coon hunting here in WV is very popular. Maybe I need to offer a reward for every coon that is brought off my acreage.

 

[motherofmolly]

1 20 oz bottle of mountain dew
3 eggs that have been outside in the sun all day
3 scoops of golden malrin fly bait (find it in the farm stores)

mix the golden malrin and the mountain dew in a pan (i use a tin pan , one of those disposable ones) and then add the eggs to the top. put it out near the coop, but make sure your dogs or the chickens CAN NOT get to it. this is poison.

i do not know what it is about the golden malrin bait, but the racoons will eat it and make it about 10 feet and die. it is that quick. sounds bad, but it works. this recipe was given to me by our local farm vet. he uses it on his farm when the racoons start to get into stuff.

if you have a big problem with the racoons, i would put one by the coop and one someone else in your yard. maybe where you think they are coming from (the path they take to the coop).

i am sorry for your loss also.

as someone also suggested, secure where the coons are getting in so they have to look elsewhere and maybe will flock to this stuff.

 

[Fishbone]

The rat poison will take it down, just not as fast it would a rat.
It might come back for another night or two.

Just make sure YOUR animals can't get to it.

 

[motherofmolly]

and i will add, the mountain dew is the "sweet" that the racoon will want. you can try pepsi or coke too as i have hear that works also.

 

[Fishbone]

As already stated in the op I have tried a live trap and the coon is on to it, knocks it on it's side and won't go in it if secured with a rock, don't get me wrong I am going to continue to set that trap, hopefully I'll catch a few that way too. 5 of the birds were taken from grow out pens with no vents before they moved to the coop. I know I need to make some adjustments to the coop, but time is an issue and I'm not willing to lose valuable hens in the meantime.

I do have some friends with coon dogs, coon hunting here in WV is very popular. Maybe I need to offer a reward for every coon that is brought off my acreage.

There's your 'solution'.
Most hunters are open for the opportunity to hunt on private land, with permission.
Offering a 'reward'? ...let's just say they'll be lining up!!.
Just make sure they are 'informed' as to what they can take!!

 

[Pngzv]

That's terrible my friend lost his entire flock to coons.do you put food other than crumbles in coop? If so stop thats what thir after. I let mine out to give em anything but crumbles. Coons r smart if their not gettn ur free range birds look at the food situation .. When my buddy started loosen his we shot 4 coons.. They were free range only killed in coop at nite..