Behavior after pred attack

[rosemarythyme]

We have a side door on the coop with a slide latch that gives us easy access to the eggs in the boxes. I taped that down. The coop top opens up but it’s heavy, even for me. I can’t imagine an animal lifting it.

Can we get photos of these areas as well. I don't know if you're being literal, but taping down a nest box hatch is not going to deter a raccoon from lifting it. It sounds like your latches need to be switched out for something more secure.

Here’s a pic for reference. This was a year and a half ago when we moved them to the coop, so it’s changed some. It now has a wood roof. There is also boarding around the bottom of the shed and fencing because something kept getting in, just not killing any chickens (any ideas on that?

The raccoon pushed through the wire on the bottom, and I’m assuming that was the entry point and it looked like it pried back the wire behind the shed and left. Their chicken wire is now boarded down, stapled. It seems unlikely to get in.

I don’t think digging is an option. The ground is hard as a rock.

The problem is chicken wire is simply not strong enough to stop a raccoon. How is the wire attached to the run frame. If strictly staples, that is not secure enough no matter what type of wire is used. You mentioned having "boarding around the bottom of the shed" - what does that look like and how is that attached?

You also have no apron to prevent dig ins but you said the ground is hard. Have you seen any signs of attempted dig ins? What's on the other side of the wood fence?

Up to date photos would help, it's hard to assess the security of a set up when we cannot see how it currently looks.

 

[DLA]

Here’s a pic for reference. This was a year and a half ago when we moved them to the coop, so it’s changed some. It now has a wood roof. There is also boarding around the bottom of the shed and fencing because something kept getting in, just not killing any chickens (any ideas on that?

The raccoon pushed through the wire on the bottom, and I’m assuming that was the entry point and it looked like it pried back the wire behind the shed and left. Their chicken wire is now boarded down, stapled. It seems unlikely to get in.

I don’t think digging is an option. The ground is hard as a rock.

View attachment 3627469

The only thing that wire will do is stop your chickens from escaping. You need hardware cloth and it needs to be firmly anchored to the wood and the wood should not be thin or flimsy because raccoons will be able to pull the wire loose. You might think the ground is too hard for them to dig thru but it is not so an apron of hardware cloth is also needed. If you can't dig to bury the apron put lots of heavy rocks or cement blocks on it so they can't get under it. An apron of about 2 feet should stop anything that tries to dig under. You might think they can't lift the coop lid but they don't have to lift it very far, just a few inches to squeeze under so that should be secured. You will need latches that raccoons can't open. A secure run with a secure coop inside gives two layers of protection to stop future attacks. The top of the run should be secure as that wooden fence can be easily climbed by a raccoon. That fence that makes up part of the run wall will also need an apron and be checked regularly that there are no gaps developing, as the wood ages it can sometimes warp leaving a predator an opening.

 

[Mrs. K]

I know coons, I KNOW COONS. They are the smartest, strongest most nimble predator. Once we had one that covered the hole he had created with what looked like a blown in piece of paper. Sometimes they will just pick one or two, and the come back in a day or so, kind of like fast food for coons. Once I had a big old boy leave a note, "Please leave BBQ sauce, I am kind of tired of them plain.

I have had them shake a door until the top latch slip down. I have had them wipe me out, almost always that is a mother with growing cubs, killing everything.

A lot of people toot, hardware cloth, but I have had very good success with a chain link fence. Over the top, attached to fence posts, and hooked together with hog rings. If I locked a person in my coop/run, they would have a very very difficult time getting out. It took me years to get to chain link, and we tried a lot of other stuff to get the size that I wanted, coon proof.

As for the chickens that are left, they will be shook up for a day or too. But then they will be fine. They really are in a near comma like when they roost and sleep. If you have ever gone in, and pulled one off the roost, they will squawk, but it is delayed, and almost always, the other birds right next to them do not hardly move, maybe a mild noise or two.

The reaction of the attacked bird, is almost alway to act dead, so while you are imagining a terrifying chase with feathers flying everywhere, and all the birds in abject terror, that is really not how it went down. The coons grabbed your favorite, (at least it always seems to be your favorite) and the bird, in a near comma of sleep, probably didn't do much more than when you pick them off the roost, the coon quickly kills the bird and then tears them apart -that is where the mess comes from.

I do know, and I mean really know how sickening it can be. The chainlink has worked for me.

Mrs K

 

[lagrange chicks]

I know coons, I KNOW COONS. They are the smartest, strongest most nimble predator. Once we had one that covered the hole he had created with what looked like a blown in piece of paper. Sometimes they will just pick one or two, and the come back in a day or so, kind of like fast food for coons. Once I had a big old boy leave a note, "Please leave BBQ sauce, I am kind of tired of them plain.

I have had them shake a door until the top latch slip down. I have had them wipe me out, almost always that is a mother with growing cubs, killing everything.

A lot of people toot, hardware cloth, but I have had very good success with a chain link fence. Over the top, attached to fence posts, and hooked together with hog rings. If I locked a person in my coop/run, they would have a very very difficult time getting out. It took me years to get to chain link, and we tried a lot of other stuff to get the size that I wanted, coon proof.

As for the chickens that are left, they will be shook up for a day or too. But then they will be fine. They really are in a near comma like when they roost and sleep. If you have ever gone in, and pulled one off the roost, they will squawk, but it is delayed, and almost always, the other birds right next to them do not hardly move, maybe a mild noise or two.

The reaction of the attacked bird, is almost alway to act dead, so while you are imagining a terrifying chase with feathers flying everywhere, and all the birds in abject terror, that is really not how it went down. The coons grabbed your favorite, (at least it always seems to be your favorite) and the bird, in a near comma of sleep, probably didn't do much more than when you pick them off the roost, the coon quickly kills the bird and then tears them apart -that is where the mess comes from.

I do know, and I mean really know how sickening it can be. The chainlink has worked for me.

Mrs K

I agree chain link is great for coon even bear but not for weasels, slip right through. Weasels could not even eat a whole chicken but have no hard feelings killing the whole flock if they have the chance.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

@jslater14 you have been given excellent advice and suggestions. The problem with chicken wire is that it is so flimsy that many predators are able to bite right through it and pull the wire away, or stretch the wire until they make a hole big enough to gain entrance. Chicken wire is meant to keep chickens in, not made to keep predators out. My coops and runs are chain link dog kennel panels entirely covered in 1/2" hardware cloth on the sides and tops, with 3' hardware cloth aprons flared out over the top of the dirt, and then covered with more dirt. An alternative to a flared apron is to bury the apron straight down into the ground, but my coops and runs are under large shade trees, and tree roots interfere with placing the hardware cloth straight down into the ground. Some also use electric fencing to protect their poultry. I live in a wooded rural area with chicken predators galore, and for nearly 10 years and counting, nothing has ever breached the coops and runs. Since you live in the city, you don't have as many predators as someone who lives in the country, but raccoons are one of the worst poultry predators of all, and they are nearly everywhere in the U.S.

How do you feel about trapping the raccoon? And are you able and willing to kill it if you trap it? If so, a Duke dog-proof coon trap is all but guaranteed to catch your raccoon(s). Below are photos of 2 raccoons that stuck their paws (baited with dog food) into the traps. The traps are chained to the bottom of the fence, and both raccoons climbed up as far as the chains would allow them to. I caught a family of 6 female raccoons using these traps. My final layer of flock protection is my LGDs, and I had never had raccoons around before and haven't since, because my dogs keep them away. But this family of raccoons wiped out my neighbor's entire flock of 30+ chickens before moving in for mine. After several nights of my dogs frantically barking all night long, and after I had detected by flashlight many glowing eyes in the trees, it was clear those raccoons werent going to give up. I knew I needed to remove the problem, and so I did.

I wish I agreed with statements above that chickens sit nearly comatose in the night while their flockmates are killed. Believing they meet a quick, quiet death would be comforting. But sadly there are many youtube videos where a camera was in the coop while a predator attacked, and those cameras tell a tragic different story. I've watched and listened to attack videos by bobcats, minks, raccoons and many other chicken predators. Rarely are the birds killed quickly; many times they are slowly eaten alive while flockmates listen to their panic and agonized screams. I will not post a youtube video of a nighttime raccoon attack on this thread. I've said what I did to encourage people to do all they can to build a Fort Knox coop. Anyone who wants to hear the sounds of a nighttime predator attack can Google and watch/listen for themselves. Be forewarned, the videos are extremely disturbing and gut-wrenching.