Baby Racoons

[Kieh12]

So, today I saw a baby raccoon run across my yard. My chickens are free ranged during the day. And my Wyandotte actually seemed curious and followed it a little ways. Last year we had 3 destructive baby raccoons that we were eventually able to relocate. My question is...if I can't trap and relocate it this time, how much of a danger is a baby raccoon to my chickens? We haven't had any issues with raccoons getting our chickens, only hawks.

 

[Kiki]

I'd guess very dangerous.

 

[peeptherooster]

they probably are not yet, if you leave out cat food or bird feeders where racoons can easily get them then they will come to your house for meals, when they get bigger they will kill your chickens. if they do decide to eat your ckickens the will try to eat more then 1 and do not even eat the entire chicken, they try to eat whats in the crop and a little bit of the chest. once it finds out how to get to the chickens it will probably kill a lot of them,

 

[Kieh12]

That was my thought, too. But I guess I was hoping to hear otherwise, so I'd feel better. Ah! I don't want to lock up birds during the day. I do have a rooster who is great at hiding girls when there is potential danger. He saw it before I did, but like I said my Wyandotte was overly curious about the raccoon. That's a big worry.

 

[Kieh12]

they probably are not yet, if you leave out cat food or bird feeders where racoons can easily get them then they will come to your house for meals, when they get bigger they will kill your chickens. if they do decide to eat your ckickens the will try to eat more then 1 and do not even eat the entire chicken, they try to eat whats in the crop and a little bit of the chest. once it finds out how to get to the chickens it will probably kill a lot of them,

No cat, dog, or bird feeders/waterers out. I do have 2 gardens,however, everything growing right now is too immature.

 

[bobbi-j]

Please check your local laws on relocation. In most places it's illegal. Not to mention you now have a trap-wise animal that could potentially become someone else's problem, and an animal (even worse if it's a baby!) in unfamiliar territory not knowing where to find food or water, and possibly in a bigger, meaner raccoons turf. I know they're cute, but they grow up to be mean, destructive chicken killers. There is also a chance of the spread of diseases - rabies and distemper being the first to come to mind. The kindest thing you could do is trap and kill.

 

[Kieh12]

I was not opposed to killing them last time, I just said that if we did I wanted it to be quick. I didn't have a way to do that without potentially injuring my self in the process. Other methods (drowning and posioning were suggested to me), but I couldn't bring myself to do something so slow and torturous.

 

[peeptherooster]

You can shoot it, i had a fox problem last year and i just shot it and no fox has came back untill now,

 

[bobbi-j]

I was not opposed to killing them last time, I just said that if we did I wanted it to be quick. I didn't have a way to do that without potentially injuring my self in the process. Other methods (drowning and posioning were suggested to me), but I couldn't bring myself to do something so slow and torturous.

I understand your thinking, and I'm not thrilled with the idea of drowning them either. That being said, it's still a quick death compared to starving or being chased out by a competitor. It takes minutes rather than days or weeks. I would not poison.

 

[Weehopper]

Flashing red lights! Danger, danger, danger. If you are seeing a baby, where is the rest of the family?