Feeding chickens raccoons

[Debbie292d]

with any wild animal there is a risk of parasites. if shooting a raccoon is what you need to do to protect your chickens I think most chicken keepers wouldn't really consider that waste.

maybe do a round of diatomaceous earth if you decide to feed it to them

I've used DE for over 20 years to prevent mites, lice, ants, etc., successfully, and this is for two macaw parrots as well as a flock of silkies, and keeping ants out of our house.

But, if the chickens had worms, I'd get Safeguard for them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is there any issues with feeding chickens raccoon?

I personally would not worry about parasites. Raccoons are mammals, chickens are birds. There are very few parasites that will affect both mammals and birds. Of those few, if the raccoons have them they are in your environment. The chickens have already been exposed to them.

I don't know what your legal situation is. That can vary widely depending in your local government. You might chat with your local animal control to get their opinion.

I occasionally let my chickens eat some of the predators I kill. I open them with a shovel or axe so they can get to the soft parts inside. But I clean that up and dispose of the uneaten carcass before night so I don't attract more predators to their run.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

If you want to draw less attention, drowning is quieter than shooting. Any racoons I trap get drowned in a plastic plastic bin that's larger enough than the trap for the trap to be fully emersed. A cinder block on top keeps the trap from floating.

 

[McChooky]

I have noticed I have raccoons wandering around and I don't want them around my chickens.

I was thinking of shooting them but then that seems like a waste. So I was thinking of capturing them then shooting them during the day so the chickens can feed on the raccoon.

Is there any issues with feeding chickens raccoon?

Old timers chickens followed their livestock around and ate any grain they found in the poop .They were also fed scraps from the kitchen and garden. Nothing was ever wasted or thrown away .When they butchered a cow or hog they gave all the scraps to the chickens,dogs and hogs. Killing predators could potentially provide you with lots of chicken 'feed' provided you have the time to prep it first

 

[Seaslug]

Drowning is not a humane way to kill an animal. And just because a racoon is on your property does not mean that it is going to attack your chickens.

 

[ChicNmom]

Hopefully you are just seeing them at night. Seeing them during usually indicates they have rabies.

Birds can't get rabies but I don't think I would feed mine a raccoon.
When we see one during the day we just kill it and bury it in the woods.

 

[Seaslug]

Raccoons can be out during the day and be perfectly safe. From Wikipedia:
"Though usually nocturnal, the raccoon is sometimes active in daylight to take advantage of available food sources.[148][149] Its diet consists of about 40% invertebrates, 33% plant material and 27% vertebrates.[150] Since its diet consists of such a variety of different foods, Zeveloff argues the raccoon "may well be one of the world's most omnivorous animals".[151] While its diet in spring and early summer consists mostly of insects, worms, and other animals already available early in the year, it prefers fruits and nuts, such as acorns and walnuts, which emerge in late summer and autumn, and represent a rich calorie source for building up fat needed for winter. In the northern parts of their range, raccoons go into a winter rest, reducing their activity drastically as long as a permanent snow cover makes searching for food difficult.[161]"
They are also very smart animals. Killing only opens up the habitat for new animals to move in. Better to use electric fencing and teach the ones that are already there.

 

[McChooky]

Baylisascariasis is an infection caused by raccoon roundworms .They can be accidentally spread to dogs,chickens and people .Handling the carcasses of a dead coon has associated risks.

See more at: https://poultrydvm.com/condition/baylisascariosis

 

[McChooky]

Hopefully you are just seeing them at night. Seeing them during usually indicates they have rabies.

Birds can't get rabies but I don't think I would feed mine a raccoon.
When we see one during the day we just kill it and bury it in the woods.

The chickens are at risk of catching roundworms if they are fed a freshly killed coon.I would only consider feeding coons to my chickens if they were cooked.That should kill any worms or eggs present

 

[No Coop No Problem]

Killing predators could potentially provide you with lots of chicken 'feed' provided you have the time to prep it first

Preparation is completely unnecessary. Just toss the dead predator into a hanging kennel or bucket with many large holes in the bottom. Maggots will fall out. I've fed countless predators to my chickens this way for many years