Coon In The Pen...

[mmaddie's mom]

... good thing the birds weren't!

The girls have spent the end of Winter @ another chicken friend's and the boys go into a dog crate @ night since the vicious mink attack.

Plans are underway for a new pen & coop before the girls come back home AND THIS IS THE VERY REASON!

Let the boys out this morning and Miss Maddie (the old GSDog) walked into the open secondary pen sniffing... winds... and a garbage can that, when needed, holds cracked corn and other treats had blown over and the lid was off... went to set it aright and... COON

Broad daylight! She was so still and laying so, that we thought she might have babies in there with her. No babies, thank goodness... it was hard enough to dispatch her with her eyes just looking up @ us... but neccessary.

The new pen & coop will be AS SECURE AS WE CAN MAKE IT! It was good to find her in there to remind myself that, even though I haven't seen any evidence of anything around lately... THEY ARE STILL OUT THERE and looking for an easy, tasty chicken dinner! Could have been worse AND a good reminder.

Am looking forward to getting the girls back soon... guess we'd better get to work!

May all your days be filled with fresh eggs and you nights with NO predators!

 

[MSDeb]

Glad you found the coon before it found your birds. We have one still recovering from an encounter with one. She is healing well.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Quote:
speedy healing for your girl!

 

[bburn]

We had one a few weeks ago and it got Big Momma, my LF Black Cochin and the next night Ethel, my BR hen. We set a trap and got the racoon the next night. It is really hard to dispatch something that cute but with the vision of Big Momma and Ethel in my mine it sure made it easier!

 

[Chickenfortress]

I swear since humans pushed all the big cats and coyotes away all we have to keep down the predator population are speeding cars on dark roads and chicken keepers. Even hunters don't seem interested in them anymore.

 

[Jack Owl]

We have a 200 pound pot bellied pig, and since we have had her, I haven't lost a chicken.. I think the Shear size keeps the smaller predators away from the chickens.

 

[bobbi-j]

Quote:
You could make it easier by cornering them somewhere. They are NOT cute when they're snapping, snarling, lunging, growling and barking at you, and showing their sharp little teeth. A full-grown coon can take down a large dog. I'm glad you took care of it.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Quote:
You could make it easier by cornering them somewhere. They are NOT cute when they're snapping, snarling, lunging, growling and barking at you, and showing their sharp little teeth. A full-grown coon can take down a large dog. I'm glad you took care of it.

That's what was just so weird about this coon... daylight, cornered, but just curled up and staring quietly at us... thought she might be nursing babies...

 

[bobbi-j]

I'd be real careful with animals that aren't acting right. Could have been rabid. Here in MN, skunks are our biggest rabies threat, not so much coons, but my vet said in the eastern states it's the other way around. I've read on here that coons also can carry distemper. I think it's good that you killed it.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Quote:
Yep... closed the pen gate... got the rifle... and shot through the fencing!