Daytime coon

[Matejka]

I killed a coon yesterday evening. #8
It gets dark 8-8:30.
About 7:45 I went to pen birds.
There was coon in barn.
I shot and killed him. Young.
How normal is it for coons to be out at that time? Possibly sick?
It didn't act sick or off. I DID NOT touch or handle coon. Used leather gloves, picked up by tail, dropped in 5 gal bucket, hauled to back pasture and dumped bucket by handle and bottom of bucket.
Due to the numbers killed in last 3 weeks,
I think they have/had a nest in barn and have gotten comfortable there.
They have never tried to get in coop/run.
They are after the feed/corn in barn.
Should I be worried coon was sick?

 

[sourland]

It's a possibility, but if hungry they will become active during the day. You made all the right moves with the way you disposed of it.

 

[Matejka]

All are treated the same-leather gloves, plastic bucket, back pasture.
Never physically touched a coon with my skin.

 

[cmom]

Luckily I haven't had any issues. I have seen coons around on my game cameras but never an issue so far with them after the birds. I agree with @sourland. Good luck...

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Since the coon was young, it possibly wasn't finding enough to eat during the night hours. I once saw a half-grown armadillo meandering and scratching in the leaves in my woods at 3pm one july day, when the temp was 95F. Was a huge lesson for me that nocturnal predators (not that an armadillo is a chicken predator) will hunt when they are hungry, especially if they are starving.

 

[SharW75]

Before we had chickens, I fed my cats in the morning and evening on our porch. The raccoons started dropping by then to "help" the cats eat their meals. In order to keep them from coming around, I took to feeding the cats once about 11 am. It didn't take the coons long to figure out the food was there during the day, so they just adjusted their routine and started coming around then too. I don't think all raccoons that you see during the day are ailing--they may just have figured out when the best meals are to be had. I've also found that young ones tend to be out at all hours, much more so than adults.

 

[Matejka]

Graphic?

Before we had chickens, I fed my cats in the morning and evening on our porch. The raccoons started dropping by then to "help" the cats eat their meals. In order to keep them from coming around, I took to feeding the cats once about 11 am. It didn't take the coons long to figure out the food was there during the day, so they just adjusted their routine and started coming around then too. I don't think all raccoons that you see during the day are ailing--they may just have figured out when the best meals are to be had. I've also found that young ones tend to be out at all hours, much more so than adults.

I agree!

 

[WestTNriverrat]

Raccoons are smart enough to change their habits to fit their needs. If food is available and easier to acquire in daylight hours that’s when they will become more active.

 

[RosemaryDuck]

Just want to add here, it's a myth that nocturnal animals out during the day means they have rabies. Raccoons (specifically mothers, kits and young ones) will venture out during the day for food and water.

Here is a very helpful guide on rabies in raccoons: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/raccoons-and-public-health

Hope this helps!

 

[Matejka]

Thanks