fighting raccoons

[centrarchid]

Use wetted chicken feed. Odds are raccoon coming to get the easy first, chickens are simply targets of opportunity. If you catch non-target animal, simply release. I catch chickens far more often than I catch predators which is part of the game.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Use wetted chicken feed. Odds are raccoon coming to get the easy first, chickens are simply targets of opportunity. If you catch non-target animal, simply release. I catch chickens far more often than I catch predators which is part of the game.

That is a great idea....yes!!

 

[MamaBigMouth]

Mary -
Here are the photos I took yesterday. If you follow the last one and move backwards you can get a good idea of the coop location.
The shed you see through the woods to the right of the photos is where I found the remains. There is a den dug out underneath the shed's ramp.
We moved the trap last night, added fish bait, and nothing. I'm going to try the egg salad tonight. - Hugs! ~Kathie

 

[MamaBigMouth]

Well, I just looked at my photos and realize you can't even see the shed where the den is located.
The blue house is mine. = )
But the trap is right in the middle of what appears to be the coon trail.
How are you? How are your ladies? Any more predator activity on your end?

 

[MamaBigMouth]

OK, I'll do this!

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Looks good...making the setup along the fence is a great location. Animals moving through the area will naturally follow the fence, it will naturally funnel traffic right by the set.

I'd make only one change.

Take a flat-nosed shovel and scrape the leaves away under the trap, then level the ground so that all points of the trap are on solid ground and the trap is firmly bedded. Once this is done, bait the trap and take the leaves from the debri that you scraped away from the set and sprinkle these at the opening of the trap so that the transition from leafy ground to the interior of the trap is not such a hard transition. Don't put so many that in interferes with the operation of the trap, but enough to soften the floor of the trap opening.

 

[cream puff]

I've moved my trap, I found some raccoon scat near a different tree so I put the trap near there with a can of salmon - nice and stinky.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Good move...make sure that the trap is firmly bedded...no wobble.

I've never met a raccoon that could refuse canned salmon, sardines...anything with a nice fishy smell. Heck even dry cat food or dog food will entice them.

If baiting with dry foods, put it under the treadle. Just enough to to entice the predator, but not enough to interfere with the normal operation of the trap.

Then when the coon works the set, in order to get all the bait, they will "have to" press the treadle and trigger the trap.

Cage traps are very simple in their operation, but there are nuances in making an effective set for those darn chicken killers.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Here's a nice trick...

Even if a predator is trap shy and will not enter a trap....a lot of times they will still go right up to the mouth of the trap, they just won't go in.

If I think this is happening, but the ground is hard or there is too much leaf litter to allow me to check for sign, then I'll dig a shallow depression in front of the cage trap, right at the mouth, maybe 13 or 14 inches across and fill it with play sand. Any critter that comes by will leave their prints in that play sand. You'll get perfect animal tracks, and it's easy to erase, just smooth it out each day.

This will work around the coop and run as well, when you are trying to figure out how the heck are they getting in...or what the heck is killing my chickens. Play sand at key locations will give you all need to identify the perpetrator.

 

[cream puff]

those are great tips, save me a lot of trial and error. Thanks so much. Nothing seems to have been around lately no birds taken at all. Lots of ravens and eagles but the chicken yard is in an orchard and they have a lot of cover which is a mixed blessing, some of that cover hides raccoons or feral cats - I took care of the feral cat though....