Dispatched momma coon and three kits, but feeling bad about it.

[aprophet]

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if you produce any waste/animal parts, fish scraps etc etc on a regular basis and you can place a bait pile away from your birds at the back of a farm or back of the lot that goes a long way in distracting preds. HTH

to the OP any pred that attempts to just eat a few eggs ( potential chicks) meets with the same fate, if you have more then one trap to keep an animal over night it is easier to catch the rest using the first as bait I try to get rid of them in 1 or 2 nights it works better this way

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

I have cleaned this for language, unnecessary moral judgments and flaming. Let's stay nice and stay on topic.

Thanks for your attention.

 

[MysticScorpio82]

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Well put!!

 

[obxWaMi]

Don't feel bad for doing what you had to do to protect your chickens. We had to to the very same thing a few weeks ago, but we were lucky enough to get the daddy coon too. We heard our favorite chicken, Lady, yelling and caught the coons in the act. We had to put Lady down, but we got the entire raccoon family that night too--mom, dad, and the three young ones--they all climbed our pecan tree and trapped themselves. I felt awful for about a day and a half, but I got over it after everyone here told me I did the right thing.

Continue to be on the look out for the one that got away. It was probably momma raccoon's mate.

 

[missred871]

try being me I am up against a 75lb stray german shepard....worst part is on the 4th of july it hid under our grill cause of the fireworks and we thought maybe it got lose from its chain at someones house or something but it was mean. couldnt get a hand on it. I thought maybe it was just scared but OH NO caught it over by my chicken coop yesterday morning, wasnt fast enough to get out there though. He/She got away. I cant shoot a dog I told my grandfather I was afraid he'd have to do it but I worry for my dogs and my birds, the little you know what already got my sebright hen and one of my pekin ducks and it comes after dawn in the morning around 7am.

I am at a loss. You did great though. We got a possum in our yard a few weeks ago. so you did the RIGHT THING. The coons could have contracted a disease to your poor kitty too.

 

[bobbi-j]

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I hope your grandfather can take care of the problem. Either that or call animal control, your local law enforcement or whoever you need to call to get the dog. You don't need a big, mean stray dog at your place! There aren't any small children living there that could get bitten are there?

 

[Chick-N-Antics]

I did get the large racoon the next night. I feel better knowing that I did 'finish' the job, but not that I had to put a family of racoons down like that. At the same time too, I realize that this is going to be an on-going battle. I spoke to a neighbor a couple houses down yesterday, he and his girlfriend have lost ove 3/4 of their birds to something they aren't sure what. We both agree that it was most likely racoons but he did spot a small fox a few miles up the road. (Just great...

)

There was still one kit that hasn't made a return visit. I'm hoping that it does not but I will take everyone's suggestions and try to apply them as best I can and will do what I have to again. We are plannng out, literally, a new coop and hope to have it built in the next six weeks. Everyone's experiences have certainly made us reconsider a few different things we could potentially do.

I'd would again like to thank everyone for their information, words or encourgement and advice...you guys are a great bunch!

 

[Chick-N-Antics]

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You don't need a license to shoot pests or vermin here, even wild/ferral pigs you can shoot 'at will' and are even encouraged to do so here in Michigan (when it can be done safely) because they are such a damaging problem. I did check w/our Dept. of Natural Resources before I picked up a gun and started shooting at anything. As someone stated already, there is no 'season' for vermin or licensing requirements, especially if are just protecting livestock.

 

[haTHOR]

so you did figure out how they were getting in to your coop? if you already answered, my apology, i missed it.

i just figure, if you solve that problem it may save you a lot of worry and the difficulty you experienced with the killing of the family, etc.

 

[missred871]

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I hope your grandfather can take care of the problem. Either that or call animal control, your local law enforcement or whoever you need to call to get the dog. You don't need a big, mean stray dog at your place! There aren't any small children living there that could get bitten are there?

Yes, my 4 year old daughter...... now you see my issue with the big mean dog