Baby raccoons in apple tree near my coop.

[cute chicks here]

I went to let my 2 adult hens and 3 nine week old chicks out this morning and found 2 young raccoons climbing down our apple tree. I imagine the mom is somewhere around also. My coop has double hardware cloth everywhere and 3 latches on every door but I still worry. I always sit out there when I let them free-range in my fenced yard. I set box traps but don't know if the babies are to young to relocate. How can I just get them to leave?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You won't get them to leave.

Is it legal to relocate in your county/state?
Relocating just usually dumps wise trap animals on someone else and they'll have to deal with them.

I agree, Mom is likely somewhere.
If your coop/run is secure and you don't have any food/water that attracts them, then they may move on or at least not bother the chickens at night. But generally Raccoons hang out in an area they are familiar with. I'm not sure of their range, but it's probably a mile or more.

If they become a nuisance, check her local and state trapping laws, trap and dispatch if legal. Probably not what you want to hear, but please don't dump them on someone else. Relocated animals often struggle to find food sources and may also encounter predators, so if you think it will be wonderful for them if you just trap and release into a random field or some woods, consider where they may go and what they may encounter.

I have them come through and only trap if I have one that is being a real nuisance. Some years I trap more, others I don't.

 

[cute chicks here]

You won't get them to leave.

Is it legal to relocate in your county/state?
Relocating just usually dumps wise trap animals on someone else and they'll have to deal with them.

I agree, Mom is likely somewhere.
If your coop/run is secure and you don't have any food/water that attracts them, then they may move on or at least not bother the chickens at night. But generally Raccoons hang out in an area they are familiar with. I'm not sure of their range, but it's probably a mile or more.

If they become a nuisance, check her local and state trapping laws, trap and dispatch if legal. Probably not what you want to hear, but please don't dump them on someone else. Relocated animals often struggle to find food sources and may also encounter predators, so if you think it will be wonderful for them if you just trap and release into a random field or some woods, consider where they may go and what they may encounter.

I have them come through and only trap if I have one that is being a real nuisance. Some years I trap more, others I don't.

Since the mother coon was not around I got a wildlife rehab person to take them and she will keep them till they are ready to release.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Since the mother coon was not around I got a wildlife rehab person to take them and she will keep them till they are ready to release.

That's great!