Advice needed for Raccoon problem

[Spires6]

I have kept chickens on and off for 20 years on the same farm. For the past 3 years I have had a terrible time with raccoons. For the 3rd year in a row, they have wiped out most of my flock in 1 week. Each year as it happened I found ways to secure the coop and rid myself of the pesky critters. This year they have been very persistant and no matter what I do they seem to find a way to get in and kill. The method I used to rid myself of them last year seems to be failing. I am now moving them into cages in my husband's shop at night. Out of the 12 chickens my son had selected to show at fair we have only 3 left and our best are gone. Soooo disappointed and tired of raccoons. Anyone else having this problem? Any advice to rid myself of the evil coons?

 

[teach1rusl]

Well, I've always read that when you get rid of one raccoon (or two...three...four...lol), there will always be another in line to take its place. So my advice is to build a Fort Knox coop and run - welded wire run with skirt, welded wire roof, locks on doors, close the pop door each night.

 

[Wisher1000]

Sig Arms .223 rilfle

 

[WillieBoy]

Sorry you lost so many....Coons re alway trying to get to my hens.I see muddy tracks all over my coop often after a rain.I keep catching and killing them, but as mentioned, new ones keep coming.A strong ,tight coop is key, thats the only reason rocky raccoon hasn't killed my hens.I keep catching and killing, because they also destroy my sweet corn crop, and killed every frog and turtle in my pond.No mercy here for the bandits, they take whats dear to me, sooooo....my live traps are working everyday...I can't get them all, but i can slow them down and reduce their numbers...good luck

 

[cmom]

I have an electric fence. I have seen coons on my property on my security cameras. They don't bother the birds with the electric fence. I have heard critter cry out when they have touched it and they don't come back to test it out again.

 

[nfrost]

we get coon problems in the spring and fall it seems we jsut trap them usually there a mom with little ones, and we trap and shoot them, but for the rest of the year we dont really get bothered, im thinking of keeping a permanent trap out to kill off any straglers

 

[aprophet]

I get rid of 5-8 and then do not see any more for 6 months or so sometimes you need to get rid of 10-15 to achieve this. you are experiencing what happens when someone relocates their problem to someone else

 

[SentryFE]

I keep a live trap out 24/7 and relocate them to the back of my property

 

[Tala]

Quote:
That's the funniest thing I've ever heard of.

 

[Vanessabuffsnsilkies]

We just caught and destroyed 2 raccoons in the last 3 days. I've not had a problem with them for a while. Keeping a close eye this week and traps set. I've heard several people in this general area of Ohio having them lately.