Can a raccoon climb a 6 ft. tall block wall (privacy fence)

[Duppydo]

I agree that coons are very clever, i really wouldn't be surprised if one figured out a way to get over your block wall.As mentioned,a coon may not be able to scale the wall if its smooth, no way for the coon to grab and hold as it tries to climb, like a rough surface may provide.Still, a hungry coon may very well find some way to get in.
I'm not so sure your your coyote proof by looking at your pic. Looks like the floor is dirt..? You have 4 inch sold cement blocks around the outside, which a coyotoe can dig under with enough effort.Unless you have some wire or fencing underground that can't be seen, i think a determined digging predator can get in..
What do you have on top of your chicken pens chain link walls..?
I think i would focus on fortiflying the chicken housing, to protect your birds, in case predator do get over your 6ft block wall...just my 2 cents....Kevin

 

[Rte.66_chicks]

I know that I've seen 'coon tracks near natural waters almost anywhere I've been in the state, but haven't heard of them in Phx. Check with AZ Fish & Game-they can probably tell you more than we can.

My run is a 4' welded-wire fence, but I live far enough from the undeveloped land around Kingman that all I have to worry about are dogs running loose. Haven't even had any hawk problems.

 

[walkswithdog]

Coons are good at block walls, up to ten feet, higher if they're built with any gaping. Coons live to get into just about anything. And most suburbs and cities have coons. We leave too much trash around.

Assuming a coon can't get in is generally not a sound protective attitude.

Assume they can. Defend against it.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

Quote:
The cement blocks surrounding the run are bigger than they look in the picture (7 1/2" wide x 16" long) and are placed 3 inches from the edge of the run. Also, there is landscaping rock a few inches deep surrounding the run (and blocks) and thick black plastic under the rocks.

A coyote (or other predator) would have to start digging at least 10 1/2" out from the run and he would be digging through rocks and then hit the plastic. If he managed that, he's still have to tunnel under about a foot to come up on the other side. Is this enough of a deterrent for digging under and do I need more?

On the top of our run is a very unusual cover for a chicken run, but very sturdy and still lets some sun in. It is hard plastic baby fencing we had sitting around (for human babies) laid across 2 x 4's for support and and attached to the chain link. It hangs out about 6" on all sides and would support an animal without falling through, if one happened to get up there. The chain link run is 13 ft. long and the first 5-6 ft of it is covered with corrugated roofing so that the rain doesn't blow into the coop - the thick plastic fencing covers the rest of it.

The reason our coop is open, instead of enclosed, is to protect them from the desert heat. It gets up to 115 degrees here in the summertime and very rarely will our nighttime lows even reach 30 degrees. We did remove the black plastic and rocks inside the run and added sand at two ends so that the chickens can dustbathe.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

Rte.66_chicks :

I know that I've seen 'coon tracks near natural waters almost anywhere I've been in the state, but haven't heard of them in Phx. Check with AZ Fish & Game-they can probably tell you more than we can.

Good idea. I called them and had to leave a message. Hopefully they'll call me back.​

 

[nightshade]

yes they can climb the wall. I had a pet coon for three years and my hubby is coon hunter, if you have never seen one in action you would be amazed at what they can do.

 

[nightshade]

I just noticed that your eves on your coop look open. If that is the case a coon will go up the near by tree and right in the space in the eves. they only need a place big enough to get their heads in to get in normally. They are notoriously bad for if the get somewheres and get stuck they will not give up. It has been known to kill them, they are also etremely courious. The dog in the pick is it an outside dog? if so you will want to put its coop close to the chicken run. It is a get coon deturent. We actualy have a coon dog tied just outside our run and have not had a problem in three years, and we release trapped coon less then 100 yrds from the coop.

 

[andorraclaim]

Raccoons are always smarter than you give them credit for and work in teams. We had to cover the entire "top" of the coop and run with chick wire. I dug about a foot into the ground to bury the wire at the base and then covered both sides with rocks. I still on occasion catch on climbing the top like a circus performer, looking for a mistake in my craftsman. I've watched them scale my house (which is sided with old ceramic shingles) in under ten seconds.

I still chase raccoons with my machete all the time. If I didn't know better I think they have caught on to my sleeping patterns to improve their success rate pulling gunk up from the compost or robbing the garden.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

Quote:
I was wondering about the eaves also. We had purposely left some space there for ventilation before I had even considered that raccoons can live here in our dry desert city.

Our two dogs are mostly outdoor dogs - we have a doggy door into the back room of our house so that they can get relief as needed during our hot summer days. They should be able to spend the majority of the nights outside in their dog igloo (we would still bring them in when it gets close to freezing). I'll have my husband move their igloo closer to the coop. Thanks for the idea.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Chickens are curious, just as curious as coons. I have seen coons use that to their advantage. I have seen coons put a hand thru a fence and leave it there just palm up for hours and when something comes to check out the hand, you guessed it, hand closes and they pull what ever is in that hand thru the fence. I have also seen them double team. One waits with a hand in a fence and the other goes around and scares them into the said hand and you guessed it, hand closes and what ever is in it is pulled thru the fence.

Coons can, will, and do climb everything.

Good luck with your preditor proofing.