Any Pro-tips on Trapping/Removing Raccoons

[Alex#242]

After loosing dozens of birds over a 10 year span I learned several tips. First I don’t know where you’re located but if your coop is near woods it’s probably best to keep it as close to your house as possible. Secondly make your run as secure as possible you may have to put a top on it, cover all holes even ones you think are too small for predators my suggestion is a two layer fence a strong outer wire like chain link with a hardware cloth interior. Third lock your birds in the coop every night. Lastly is something that I had only recently been told if you have a large flock or extra money to spend keeping the predators feed far from your chickens keeps down their desire to get to your flock. I know someone who raises and sells hundreds of chickens a year she told me she takes her dead or very sick birds culls them and disposes of them in the same place so the predators know their is a steady supply of food coming in. Good luck I know your frustration.
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[Birdinhand]

We will definitely be using hardware cloth, and lots of it! Currently we have a coop that we are re-vamping and our run only has a fence around it. We are now exploring the options we have to put some sort of ceiling on it to box it all in, although we are not yet sure how to go about this.

I use galvanized "U" nails, at the seams, about every 4 inches. you can take a screw and a washer and use them like come alongs to make the HC nice a taught before nailing it down. to preserve the HC where it is in ground, I recommend having 12" eves to keep rain water from drenching the ground right where the fencing is, as that will speed up the oxidation.

 

[Welshies]

After loosing dozens of birds over a 10 year span I learned several tips. First I don’t know where you’re located but if your coop is near woods it’s probably best to keep it as close to your house as possible. Secondly make your run as secure as possible you may have to put a top on it, cover all holes even ones you think are too small for predators my suggestion is a two layer fence a strong outer wire like chain link with a hardware cloth interior. Third lock your birds in the coop every night. Lastly is something that I had only recently been told if you have a large flock or extra money to spend keeping the predators feed far from your chickens keeps down their desire to get to your flock. I know someone who raises and sells hundreds of chickens a year she told me she takes her dead or very sick birds culls them and disposes of them in the same place so the predators know their is a steady supply of food coming in. Good luck I know your frustration.
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x2. Weasels can squeeze through a HALF INCH HOLE. Use hardware cloth!!!! Weasels will kill your WHOLE flock if they get it.

 

[lazy gardener]

I know someone who raises and sells hundreds of chickens a year she told me she takes her dead or very sick birds culls them and disposes of them in the same place so the predators know their is a steady supply of food coming in.

I would hate to live near this person. Sounds to me like her husbandry practices are questionable if she has a steady supply of dead or sick birds to keep predators sated.

 

[The Phantom]

Shoot them all!!

 

[Alex#242]

I would hate to live near this person. Sounds to me like her husbandry practices are questionable if she has a steady supply of dead or sick birds to keep predators sated.

I agree definitely questionable and doesn’t sound good. I have also seen the practice done in a documentary on YouTube

personally being able to cull sick chickens once a week wouldn’t be realistic for most people unless you have a lot of birds and then it brings up a lot of questions. Also i don’t want to make anyone sound bad I don’t live near the breeder I just bought some silkie chicks of them a few months ago. I can’t attest to how often they do this, it may just be on special occasions. Sorry if I made anyone mad was not my intent.

 

[lazy gardener]

Alex, you certainly didn't make me mad.

 

[Mama Runner]

I have a soft spot for coons, ok really any animal. We but cheap dry cat food and keep a bunch of bowls of it all around away from coop and free range area. We have not had really any problems..... Knock on wood

 

[Folly's place]

Really, feeding raccoons and critters out there encourages them to produce MORE such critters, also unafraid of humans, and very engaged in having rabies and canine distemper. And bad intestinal parasites. I'm happy to have them out there, but not near my dwellings or animals.
Mary

 

[centrarchid]

You can use a relatively cheap and low power electric fence setup to protect the coop and run in a manner that does not inconvenience the caretaker doing daily chores. Not knowing your actual setup, odds are it would take less than an hour add the fencing I use to protect housing only. A similar amount of time would be used arming and emptying traps. In the end, time is the biggest issue I can manage in effort to keep predators off my flock.