Feeding chickens raccoons

[bill3607]

I have no problem with killing raccoons. There is no closed season on them here. And, yes, they are a carrier of rabies and some other diseases. The comments about the diseases are kind of funny coming from people who raise chickens, though, since they carry a bit of danger of spreading disease to humans as well.

There are not as many people that eat raccoon as there used to be, but people still do it. They sell for about $5-$10 a piece last I heard in these parts. If I wanted to I could catch multiples a night and have.

Of course, you want to cook it before you eat it, but then you want to do the same before you eat a chicken.

 

[McChooky]

I'm not sure drowning is the least humane...off the top of my head I'm thinking burial alive would be worse. And have you seen that scene in Reservoir Dogs?

For someone who doesn't want a gun in the house to kill 2 racoons a year and doesn't want to break the law (drive and drop), what would people recommend?

Circle your house with motion activated sprinklers so it soaks them every time they attempt to come closer. I've found having predator proof coops and runs work best.I do free range about 4 hrs a day when I'm home and also have trained my dogs that chase predators off. I haven't had to kill anything in 4 yrs (I never let my chickens out early)

 

[McChooky]

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

If we tried that with close neighbors we'd have the health department at our door lol

 

[chickenlover2344]

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?

They can't eat it it is bad because diseases

 

[BabesDucks]

I'm not sure drowning is the least humane...off the top of my head I'm thinking burial alive would be worse. And have you seen that scene in Reservoir Dogs?

For someone who doesn't want a gun in the house to kill 2 racoons a year and doesn't want to break the law (drive and drop), what would people recommend?

Reservoir Dogs is one of my favorite movies! Dude, relocation is not against the law. Or drive and drop as you call it. It’s totally acceptable. It’s one of the things we recommend in wildlife management. Another idea is what we call humane eviction.

So put up motion detector lights. This might scare them. Strobe lights. Loud noises like a loud radio. You can put all of these things around your coop at night and this might help.

Also, vinegar soaked rags around your coop. We used to say ammonia, but we’ve changed our minds as ammonia is so caustic.

Make sure you’re not leaving any cat or dog food out, or anything those little boogers might want to come into your yard and eat, aside from your chickens, of course.

And make sure your cube is secure. Try these things and let me know if they work!

 

[BabesDucks]

If we tried that with close neighbors we'd have the health department at our door lol

Please do not allow your birds to eat maggots from rotting carcasses. This is how they get botulism.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

They can't eat it it is bad because diseases

Nope

Please do not allow your birds to eat maggots from rotting carcasses. This is how they get botulism.

Wrong. Been doing this for years with zero illness

 

[McChooky]

Please do not allow your birds to eat maggots from rotting carcasses. This is how they get botulism.

I recommended the op cook them first if he wanted to feed them to his chickens as maggots increase the concentration of toxins in a carcass .I bury everything dead!

 

[No Coop No Problem]

I recommended the op cook them first if he wanted to feed them to his chickens as maggots increase the concentration of toxins in a carcass .I bury everything dead!

Bio-magnification doesn't create new toxins. There will never be more toxins in the maggots eating a raccoon than existed originally in that raccoon

It's functionally the same as chickens eating the raccoon directly, just less efficient because of the energy loss from raccoon to maggot conversion

 

[TOMTE]

For someone who doesn't want a gun in the house to kill 2 racoons a year and doesn't want to break the law (drive and drop), what would people recommend?

You'd have to check your local laws but if done right, a home made co2 chamber can be used to euthanize animals. You really need to be careful though because if you don't do it right you're just going to cause undue suffering and pain similar to drowning and it might not kill the animal. If you go this route research it carefully.