adorable baby racoon suckling on its dead mother we trapped

[GoldApps]

I have taken a step back and realized I should be thanking these racoons for showing us the weakness in our sleeping arrangements for the chickens. It rained heavy and the ground was soft. They dug under the chicken tractor and took 4. They didn't do that on hard dirt. We aproned the chicken tractor now instead of killing racoons over our oversight

The have literally killed our chickens zero times unless we messed up. Everytime we did everything right, they never killed a chicken. So I can't validate killing them anymore. Plus they were here first. We must seem like real buttholes to move in and start killing for "no reason" they are literally just being normal raccoons and aren't over the top mischievous according to our new photo evidence.

The first one they got was a Cornish cross we had to separate for starvation slaughter. We didn't have a cage for it so we put its chick rubbermaid underneath the overhang of the chicken tractor roof. We figured there was only an inch gap so the chicken can't escape and it's way too fat to be moved. We were wrong, somehow they pulled her out of there and ruined our first feast.

Also they never got any of our fancy chickens. Just the meat birds. The ones in our makeshift 4by4.

I feel like it's our fault the chickens and now raccoons died. No chickens would been harmed if we knew.

 

[firestomp]

I live trap and put the coons down, we are inner city in an old area with many mature trees, and most of these guys are dumpster divers. I have seen an entire flock killed or maimed in one night. This is frenzy killings I call it, from the chickens getting worked up. Dog packs are bad about this too. Yes even fluffy if in a group running the streets. They just continue on until they are tired sometimes not a mark on the dead chickens, or have had enough and then carry one over the fence to eat.I use two large live traps and help the neighbors as well with control. This animal will return another night for a chicken dinner, I guarantee it. Just as foxes, weasels, and now in FL. large imported escaped and breeding snakes.
I had 2 large dogs clear a 6 foot fence, ate one on the spot, no marks on the others, the hens had just started laying a week before. Then turned to the meat rabbits, went through 2 layers of 1/2 x 1 cage wire like a can opener not a mark on the dead buck. The owner stopped them and actually came back to take responsibility She kept asking why I wasn't yelling at her. I simply said, " whats done is done, lets figure out a way to keep them in your yard and you can pay for the repairs and dead animals. I still see her walk them and we talk once in a while. The largest was a bull mastive I believe. It's head looked as big as a lions. So she paid for every thing and I came up with an idea to keep them rascals behind her 6 foot privacy fence. Still had to raise the 11 week old flock to laying age and another buck to breeding age.
Bottom line is, do whats needed to protect your home and animals. I left her with this thought. It was Sunday, the church had let out about an hour earlier, it's a very small congregation. What may have happened to the kids while these 2 dogs were in a blood mood?

 

[Outpost JWB]

Last week my breeder buck rabbit died of old age........I thought. Until yesterday when I found another buck dead in his cage. I looked him over more carefully than the other. He appeared to have been chewed and or licked on his face and front paws, (for lack of better description). No blood was present. His body was still warm and limp. My guess was a weasel or mink. Something has also been getting into one of the feed bins which are galvanized garbage cans with lids and bungee cord holding the lids tight.

Spent the day yesterday trying to reconfigure any weak spots. Last night we put out the trail cam. We found 2-3 more raccoons making repeated circles around the coop area. I'm sure the chickens were terrified the whole time. The many attacks this year along with the fact that I have had rabbits for 3+ years and NEVER lost one. The raccoons around here mean business. Bad business. They have no compassion for my livelihood. I have no compassion for theirs.

 

[firestomp]

I have made a suggestion, do what you need to do. Sardines, chicken leg bone, or better a chunk of White Castle sandwich will draw them like bees to soda pop. Get the traps, they will be a lot cheaper in the long run than replacing your stock and waiting till laying or breeding age. I use have a heart They are built very well. A peed off coon is very strong, putting them down, and how is your choice. Re-locating is usually illegal and will put them at someone elses back door.
As for the rabbits. One, a 3 year old buck is still a good breeder and is not old at all for the meat breeds. Two, as they age and the baby rate goe's down in multiple does from him, it's time to be shed of him. Three, many breeders cull the litter to 7 or 8, I don't since they aint being shown. AS A NOTE HERE, hot weather can reduce his fertility rate. I grew up with all of this stuff, my dads family all did it. I had 2 bucks and 7 working does. never worked em hard, and would butcher up to 50 at a time. I kept my own replacement stock that I hand picked. I had a doe largest of the litter at 8 weeks.(bucks usually are at 8 weeks), raised her to 6 months of age before first breeding. One time she had 14, (A family record of at least 60 years combined at that time,) and raised 12. The other 2 had died from cold on the wire. I have had many 12 and 13 litters raised. Not bad for an animal with 8 teats.
If you want, message me and I will give you what life has taught me in breeding and raising meat rabbits and chickens, any one can, I am not a professional breeder, but now in my 50s, I have learned a few things. If you want to breed them in the winter, put artificial light on them in winter. They will breed readily, I have had litters in below 0 weather, frost on moms whiskers and top of nest hair. The babes were warm as toast in the nest box. I made my boxes out of 1/2" UNTREATED plywood. Can't dress out 13 at once anymore, hands hurt to bad, so I will start staggering breeding times for the couple does I do have.
I am now also raising Japanese and bob white quail as a hobby
Good luck with the coons.

 

[Outpost JWB]

I have made a suggestion, do what you need to do. Sardines, chicken leg bone, or better a chunk of White Castle sandwich will draw them like bees to soda pop. Get the traps, they will be a lot cheaper in the long run than replacing your stock and waiting till laying or breeding age. I use have a heart  They are built very well. A peed off coon is very strong, putting them down, and how is your choice. Re-locating is usually illegal and will put them at someone elses  back door.
     As for the rabbits. One, a 3 year old buck is still a good breeder and is not old at all for the meat breeds. Two, as they age and the baby rate goe's down in multiple does from him, it's time to be shed of him. Three, many breeders cull the litter to 7 or 8, I don't since they aint being shown. AS A NOTE HERE, hot weather can reduce his fertility rate. I grew up with all of this stuff, my dads family all did it. I had 2 bucks and 7 working does. never worked em hard, and would butcher up to 50 at a time. I kept my own replacement stock that I hand picked. I had a doe largest of the litter at 8 weeks.(bucks usually are at 8 weeks), raised her to 6 months of age before first breeding. One time she had 14, (A family record of at least 60 years combined at that time,) and raised 12. The other 2 had died from cold on the wire. I have had many 12 and 13 litters raised. Not bad for an animal with 8 teats.
     If you want, message me and I will give you what life has taught me in breeding and raising meat rabbits and chickens, any one can, I am not a professional breeder, but now in my 50s, I have learned a few things. If you want to breed them in the winter, put artificial light on them in winter. They will breed readily, I have had litters in below 0 weather, frost on moms whiskers and top of nest hair. The babes were warm as toast in the nest box. I made my boxes out of 1/2" UNTREATED plywood. Can't dress out 13 at once anymore, hands hurt to bad, so I will start staggering breeding times for the couple does I do have.
   I am now also raising Japanese and bob white quail as a hobby
 Good luck with the coons.

Thanks for the info. My breeder buck and doe were over 3 years. Told the man I got him from that he died and he told me he was at least 5. Still angers me. DH thought he wanted to raise rabbits for meat, but it's been like pulling teeth to get him to butcher them. We had an accidental winter litter the 1st year I had them. I housed mama & babies in the garage with a brooder light. Didn't lose any.

As for the raccoons, I cant sleep now. Work should be fun in a few hours.........ugh!

 

[firestomp]

You don't need to take those actions in the winter. Just give them some straw and or hay in the nest box. She will do what's needed. I've, had litters in -20 deg.and - 70 windchill. I have everything facing east here, and put up winter shielding to keep wind and snow out, and had no problems, unless one stuck to the teet and was on the wire. I use 25 watt bulbs for light in the winter to keep them breeding. Like all animals, daylight hours regulates their breeding. Get those traps, May want to check your area for breeders, and start off with young stock, and raise the does to 6 months then breed them. Just for information, you can breed father to daughter, mother to son, ans so it's been written brother to sister. I haven't done that, have done all the rest. DON'T, breed I can't quite remember, but i think it's grand parent to grandchild. Thats double jeopardy, and you will likely have some freaks. I had a hermaphrodite once, YES, both sexes. And buck toothed and extra toe litter once, both parents were from different areas even. The gene pool just lined up right, I guess. If you need to change or need new blood line, just replace the buck. I keep 2 bucks at all times. just in case one kills over on me. Sorry for the grammar at 29 hours no sleep and don't get off till midnight. Will go ahead and stain the finished quail roof over tonight. Sleep is over rated, hahahaha not
Oh, if you don't like fooling with rotating frozen crocks, cut off the bottom 3 inches of five gallon buckets. No need to fill them as they freeze fast, Just water you stock 2 times a day. When the bowl is full of ice. Smack it with a rubber mallet and it pops right out, it usually shatters. Been doing this for years.

 

[firestomp]

If you don't mind the drive to Indy, I can probably fix you up. I have some 9 week olds that are going to be butchered thursday, I haven't bothered to sex them. but I can hold off. They are Californians, One of the best of 6 breeds of meat rabbits. You can expect to pay up to $20+ dollars an animal from most people. I will give you what you need if I have the right sex. Just PM me and I will give you my number if interested. I can check sex tomorrow.

 

[firestomp]

Try not to do that brooder light thing again, You are asking for big trouble changing basically the climate your doe has gotten used to as the seasons change. I think you were lucky she didn't get sick and die on you.

 

[firestomp]

GoldApps, what you say is true. They were here first. This is just my thoughts, They are prolific breeders, have no natural predators as adults (coyote may get lucky) carry diseases and parasites, can be very costly to you (home, feed, livestock,) and are nut much more than large rats really, will eat anything. Known dog killers if the dog is fool enough to chase it into a pond. (coon can turn faster, and will drown a dog). When fur prices were good, they were better controlled, as is the dog running season. They have their place in the system, but not in the numbers they are reproducing, cars and trains hit more coons than any number of live stock owners combined are removing. I'm glad you have outfoxed them so far. One time is all it takes, and you will be out, possibly big money for new stock, plus having to feed them as they get old enough to lay. I do this as a hobby, Their is no way you can raise chickens for eggs cheaper than you can get them at the store. This is figuring in total start costs, feed,up keep, electricity if you do that and your time. If they are show birds, it's twice as bad. I love all the stuff I have and raise for food. Unless you grow all the different grains, have timber to cut, and you still need wire,nails,so on. It is impossible to keep up with the costs. Even at $2 maybe $3 a dozen.
A new zeland white doe, from the day she is bred, raise a litter of 8 to 8 weeks old (this is normal process age, feed in, to weight gain after this go's to pot) will eat 100# of rabbit feed. Their can be a profit eventually from rabbits. Quail, The Jap. quail mature quick, easy to hatch and raise, easy to process, very good eating,
I quit a long time ago to justify costs. In fact I kept talking myself out of it until I looked at it as a hobby, something that needs cared for every day, if i'm sick or not, and has affected long vacations even though my brother would care for it all for me. I can see and hear them, I eat them, and now I am meeting all these people on here, and have never done this stuff before. Help on anything you can think of, and some very good ideas as well.
Some don't like squirrels, blue jays, spiders (does more good than coons), you name it. But these won't kill my animals, if something becomes a problem, I will trap it.
Including feral cats, Indy. has a great program, spay,neuter, shots, what ever is needed and future support if animal found sick or injured, ear tip it, to show it's been through the program, then release back to catch cite, at no cost, unless you want to donate. I can't tell you how many I have put through this program. At animal control, these are 100% put down rate and their kittens don't fair much better And these guys are very efficient killers, I watch my three legged, front declawed, cat do it nearly daily, I trapped him, he was declawed already.So he was dumped, like so many other DOMESTIC ANIMALS, WE BROUGHT IN. He can turn faster on 3 legs than 4. Mice,voles,birds,wild rabbits, I don't know how he does it. will not touch chicks,baby ducks,and loves wifes pet,mini lop. End result, POPULATION CONTROL. Have fun, and keep the girls safe.

 

[bobbi-j]

They were here first.

I'll have to say - I have a problem with this thinking. The farm I live on was homesteaded in 1873. There is not a raccoon on this place that's 143 years old. They've had plenty of time to adapt. Three are a lot of other raccoons - rural, suburban and metro - that have also had time to adapt. We have plenty of wildlife around here, along with berries and other food for them. They come to my chicken coop not because they are being starved out due to my presence, but because chickens are an easy meal. Same with your city coons. There are other sources of food for them, but chickens are easy pickin's - especially at night. Unless you're in a new housing development that tore down a lot of habitat, you were there first.