Coon signs

[FBMcrazy8]

I currently have a raccoon problem. Before getting my girls, we were going to set them up on the back porch. Well the turd got in our back porch. Granted when we bought the house, the back porch door was crap anyway. Well we replaced it before the girls got her but thought it best to not even put them there. Then the butt decided to dig up my rose bushes all 8, some climbing flowers, and a Rhubarb plant. He stopped and just kinda went away. But he’s back as of last night and digging my plants back up. We have tried a live trap but he is smart.

What the butt doesn’t know is I grew up coon hunting. I just have to get to my brothers house and borrow a .22 and he will be gone. I wish I had my old hound dogs because I would just set them loose.

I hope you have better luck. But I would put something over the run if you can and don’t already.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

I still haven't seen any sign of them on the security cameras nor any other sign than the prints in the water bowl that one morning.

Completely unrelated: I have recently agreed to store a couple live traps for my grandpa for a time I'm thinking to keep a handful of scratch in each to make sure the food stays safe overnight. Thoughts?

Make sure it’s in a small container. Don’t use a lot. You want them to have to go in and really work for it. They love marshmallows and canned corn. Try to avoid using anything cats will eat. Like tuna… otherwise you might get one of those. I also always tie wire my container to the back of the trap. This keeps them from tipping it over and avoiding getting trapped.

 

[LittlesNBigs]

So, we still haven't seen any coons on the security cameras yet and all of the food I've been keeping safe has remained safe.

Unfortunately the girls have crossed the line getting in and out of our yard with impunity, drawing a few comments and concerns from neighbors.

Entirely too much money and a few hours of work later, our girls are now fully confined. I hope after keeping them inside for a week they will be responsible enough to let free range in the back yard again, though with a little more supervision.




It's not showing in the pictures, but I've installed a few misting nozzles along the ridge to help keep the inside cooler.

It gives them 100sq ft of run and combines both the littles and bigs into a single coop. Before end of fall, we'll either panel the open run of the little coop to make it one large coop or build a new coop to hold them all. The Brahma's have been sleeping on the perch of the little coop run since late April anyway.

 

[LittlesNBigs]

So, we still haven't seen any coons on the security cameras yet...

Also, we still need to armor around the base to prevent digging... Free eggs are a lot of work.

 

[Folly's place]

Rats and weasels can get into your run, and do believe that there are some somewhere.
Any opening larger than 1/2" diameter is too large! Also, upgrade that run latch, because raccoons will open that one. And reach through the fencing to grab chicken parts.
Free eggs do cost a lot, especially at first!
Mary

 

[McChooky]

My advise is keep the stragglers in a chicken tractor! If you separate them they can't teach the others to go over the fence!

 

[LittlesNBigs]

Rats and weasels can get into your run, and do believe that there are some somewhere.
Any opening larger than 1/2" diameter is too large! Also, upgrade that run latch, because raccoons will open that one. And reach through the fencing to grab chicken parts.
Free eggs do cost a lot, especially at first!
Mary

Good call, I'd be hard pressed to find a wild weasel within 3 miles of my house, but my rat traps catch a few rats each year.

The plan for armoring the bottom is currently a 4" leveled concrete foundation and wrapping the lower 3' to ground with ½" hardware cloth. Does that seem sufficient? That is going to wait a month or two because of cost though.

 

[Folly's place]

The more hardware cloth, the better. Rats and weasels climb beautifully, as do raccoons. Any improvements are good...
Mary

 

[Offshoreorca]

We have coons, bobcats, coyotes, bears, weasels, minke, hawks, eagles, owls, and all manner of other predators around as we live right against a huge national park.

In five years, we lost one pullet to a red-tailed hawk with the very first batch and lost an extra cockerel that was in a non-secure small coop to a coon this spring. Our two main coops are locked up like Fort Knox and we secured the small coop again after the last attack. No additional issues even though we know the coons are around and have attempted to get in on a few occasions. It's worth securing the coops and runs if you plan on having chickens long-term as removing predators is not a good long term solution - others quickly move in and the cycle is never ending (never mind that you have helpless tasty treats that wild animals are naturally going to be attracted to - it's there habitat too ).

We also only free range with supervision because of the high density of aerial predators, but we work out in the gardens and yard often, so this is not an issue.

Hardware cloth, set into the ground and a good sized run with a secure coop are necessities.