Can raccoons chew through polycarbonate panels?

[K0k0shka]

Yes, I agree that growing up with farm animals is beneficial to children in so many ways. Not only does the fun of having them teach them, but they also learn meaningful lessons when things don’t always go perfectly and death happens. After all, death is a part of life and with proper support and explanation can provide great lessons.

Yes, definitely. Death, life, respect for the food chain and for animals in general, empathy, responsibilities, plus contact with animals boosts kids' immune systems. And of course, it's also a lot of fun! Good all around if you can pull it off.

 

[aart]

One of our local zoos has a large walk-in chicken coop for guests to go into and look at the chickens, and it has a tin roof and an oak tree above it. That was the first time I experienced the gunshot effect... Startled the crap out of me! And those were tiny little acorns... I can only imagine what a hickory cannonball must sound like!

House I grew up in had oaks all around it, regular asphalt shingles but the acorn drop was noisy!

 

[cavemanrich]

That was the first time I experienced the gunshot effect... Startled the crap out of me! And those were tiny little acorns... I can only imagine what a hickory cannonball must sound like!

If you want to know what wartime battle sounds like,,,,,,,, stand under there during a HAIL STORM. I experienced it inside a metal building which the roof was not insulated.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I was in my friends barn like that where she breeds her parrots. Between the deafening sound of the hail and the rain and the birds all screaming and panicking in their cages it was deafening.

 

[rosemarythyme]

That's what I was thinking initially, too. Wait until I retire and then get chickens. But watching neighbors with kids having so much fun with their chickens gave me hope that it could be done.

It absolutely can be done and your kids can help out by being part of the process too. No matter how careful you are there's always the possibility of loss, even if not to predators (i.e. we lost one to an accident where her foot got stuck in a gap), but that's part of this whole experience as well.

This is key, IMO.
If I still worked full time away from home, I'd have gone differently for run mesh, actually probably wouldn't have chickens.

I didn't think much of the fact that being at home makes a difference but I guess it does - since my coop and run are about 20' from the living room I can hear the egg songs and go out and grab eggs minutes after laying, even with our windows shut. I've heard dogs outside (lots of loose pet dogs around) and even spotted a juvenile bobcat walking by while making dinner and looking out the living room window. If I'm not "at home" I'm usually working in the yard, so once again, I can see/hear what's going on.

 

[aart]

I didn't think much of the fact that being at home makes a difference but I guess it does

Absolutely...have seen several canines bounce off the run walls, then stand there and look. If I had not been there to yell at them they may well have chewed their way in from the outer yard, or gotten into the inner yard and breached the run door.

 

[karenmpbrandon]

A raccoon can absolutely SNAP a plexigals panel with one twist of its wrist. they are incredibly strong and although very cute and sometimes sweet, they are clever and greedy. I"m trying LEXAN panels next, which the glass store says they can't break, but we'll see. Mine are not on a roof but over my french doors because they've already destroyed a set of those trying to get my attention. I went trhough a dozen plexiglas panels before I gav eup and put wire cloth over the doors. Now I'm going to try Lexan....very expensive but so are multiple plexiglas panels.