I let my girls freerange when I get home from work and last night locked them up at 8 pm since they were roosting even though the light is still on in the coop and run until 9pm. My neighbor called around 9 saying she had seen a raccoon at the coop when they were driving by. Sooo happy I had locked them up. I took the dog and checked it out but no raccoon. Now my pullets are ranging and its getting dusky at 7pm. If this is the same raccoon that used to check out my birdfeeder, he doesn't come around until 9ish. Will raccoons adjust their schedule and try different times? Am I pretty safe just until dark? It is right in front of our house like 50 ft away.
I would sit somewhere out of it's site with a rifle. It will keep coming back till it gets what it's after. Get it before your chickens get got.
Any time you free range, you're "tempting fate." And Raccoons will sometimes abduct at dusk, but not very often. I have most often seen Raccoons much later though. They like things to be nice and quiet before they go hunting. While i agree with emvickrey's sentiment about getting the raccoon, there are always more than one, so getting that one isn't really going to solve your problem. The best defense is to lock them up promptly at dark if possible and have them in a raccoon proof (as much as possible) enclosure. Are you pretty safe just until dark? In my opinion, yes.
I did go out to the coop and sit with my glass of wine til they went to bed at 7:15. Then I went and dusted off my 357 Crossman pellet gun that I haven't fired in 25 years. If they still make the co2 cartridges I'll go get some but the chances of my annoying a raccoon with it are pretty slim. Then I tied my collie to the front steps from where, oddly enough, I haven't heard a peep out of her. She likes to be a watch dog so if she sees something she definitely will raise the alarm. I want to make it unpleasant but not deadly for the raccoon. I believe the coop is secure from them so now we're facing a long winter of discontent in the coop unless I decide to electrify the whole fence. Well I knew they would come.. thanks for all the advice.
Just be aware that Coons will kill anything they can get ahold of. We "saw" 2 coons - and 24 - 6 1/2 week old Cornish X's and 9 Cuckoo Marans dead. Just slaughtered brutally. Protect your chickens, they will not have a chance against them.
Don't waste your time with a pellet riffle. If you don't have the heart to use a 22, live trap it and relocate it at least 10 miles away. Good luck
