Do you think this is a raccoon ?

stormylady

Songster
11 Years
Dec 27, 2008
2,657
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Illinois
I cleaned out the coop yesterday of all the dirty, yukkie, eggs and put all the eggs that the girls kicked around and were covered with mud and muck and put them in a bucket and forgot and left them out there last night, go up to go let the girls out this morning and there were eggs shells broken open all over the back yard, thing is that the bucket was full of water from all the rain so something fished them out do you think it was another stupid raccoon? Traps are set but haven't caught another raccoon lately at all. I can't see a cat pulling the eggs out of a bucket of water, beside my cat will not eat a raw egg or for that matter a cooked one. Thanks Sandy
 
Very possible. Was the bucket over-turned or still upright and full of water? I honestly can't think of another critter that would "fish" them out. Do you collect eggs daily? If you leave them in with the chickens too long it can lead to the chickens pecking and eating them. Once that occurs its nearly impossible to break of the habit.
 
yes I do collect the eggs everyday at least I try too but it has been so nasty I missed a day thats why I went out to get rid of the eggs from the day before, but I left the eggs outside of the coop so the chickens couldn't have gotten to them besides they (chickens)were locked up tight inside all night because of the recent raccoon attacks. And yes the bucket was still full of water well about half way full and was sitting upright. So what ever got the eggs out of it had to have been very nimble fingered for catching bobbing eggs.
 
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Had not thought about that, I just didn't think they were agile for some reason, but I know for a fact that I have a Mini-Bear sized raccoon that I saw the other night walking through the yard. I think that my trap may be too small for this big guy. Do you think if I was to put eggs in the trap if a opossum would go in after them?
Also I pretty sure that if something had to have climbed up over the side of the bucket it would have overturned it, because when I went out after the first poster asked if the bucket was overturned I went out and it just took a little pressure to tip it.
 
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Didn't realize you'd had recent "Raccoon Attacks". What type bait are you using in your traps? I use stinky cat food, or tuna fish. But I've heard they can't resist marshmellows. Just noticed your in Illinois. Me you!! What part?
 
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The first one I caught on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, since then Ive been putting a slightly open can of stinky catfood in there with the sandwich hoping they still liked the jelly too. Ive only just slightly pull the tab on the catfood so they can't just reach in and take the food out from the side forcing them to go in, but so far no luck with them. and yes they or it took 9 hens about 2 months ago and several of them in one night, then I locked up tight and the sucker tore the pop hole door off and got some more and then about 2 weeks ago they got my broody opal.But the raccoon that was here the other night was huge! Must be a male because the one I caught was a nursing mom, and about a 3rd this guys size!
PS Im in Macon County, Decatur!
 
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So sorry for your loss. Sounds like the right plan on the catfood, just open enough for them to smell. On my first attemp I opened the whole can. That coon licked it dry and didn't set the trap off. I hadn't been too concerned on the bait placement at that point. The next time I put the bait dead center and caught the critter. It must have been a lone coon, because it never caught another one. Caught a couple neighborhood cats and a juvenile oppossum though.
 
I have caught one cat , and I did find a very young possom in the coop last year but no broken eggs and no missing chickens . it was i think right when it started getting bitter cold and I think he was looking for warmer lodgings but i took him out anyway. Don't know if you read the edit on my last post but Im in Decatur , central IL.
 
We've had possums eating our eggs. Snakes also eat eggs, but they can't fish them out or break them open! Raccoons are less likely, but that also could've been the culprit.
 

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