First attack on my baby chicks !! So sad

[esme13]

This morning we woke up to our first losses ever. My 7 week old black rooster astroloup is gone. I can not find him anywhere !! Just a feather and blood spot down a two story porch. My dear buff Orpington pullet , who had a broken tendon and terrible leg. Well she was left alive with her good leg ripped off!! So broken hearted because we instantly had to put her down. It was a raccoon and it went up my porch and open my brooder. My rooster was such a cuddle bud too.

I have a gutt feeling it will be back I just wish I had my rooster back to burry him with his sister. He was so clingy to me.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Yeah, it'll be back for sure.
Raccoons, Fox and Opossum come around here several days a week.
Sorry for your losses. GC

 

[esme13]

Thank you , hopefully I can trap it. We haven’t had a raccoon in 5 years climb the 6ft fence. I guess it was just a matter of time. Hoping to trap it, as I don’t want my dogs to get attacked by surprise I’m just so bummed, we loved that rooster. Sucks when you lose something you get attached to.

 

[Folly's place]

Redo your chicken housing today, and keep your survivors in a really safe place until it's all fixed!
This is horrible for your chicks, and only the first of many such episodes, until your coop and run are actually safe for them.
If you set live traps, plan to shoot what you catch, or don't trap at all. Raccoons come in family groups and climb easily, including wood siding. Foxes climb and jump too, and opossums, rats, coyotes, and many dogs can get into your yard any time.
Your dogs are only effective if they are out there 24/7, and actually notice.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

I am so sorry for your losses; this story hits me because it happened here, several times, when we first had chickens. Awful!
Mary

 

[GC-Raptor]

We haven’t had a raccoon in 5 years climb the 6ft fence.

I have them on camera climb a 5 foot fence and climb a coop.

Notice two coons working to get into coop, one of them on the ground. They are very strong. Secure the trap, if they tip over a box trap they will escape. I secured my trap to the fence with a cable lock.
I used a small can of cat food, fish and seafood flavored with a pop top. Just pop tab don't remove lid. Mice like it too.
Some say marshmallows work to attract a Coon, without attracting other critters. GC

 

[esme13]

Redo your chicken housing today, and keep your survivors in a really safe place until it's all fixed!
This is horrible for your chicks, and only the first of many such episodes, until your coop and run are actually safe for them.
If you set live traps, plan to shoot what you catch, or don't trap at all. Raccoons come in family groups and climb easily, including wood siding. Foxes climb and jump too, and opossums, rats, coyotes, and many dogs can get into your yard any time.
Your dogs are only effective if they are out there 24/7, and actually notice.
Mary

we are enforcing the coop right now. Sadly this was the brooder and it was up a two story porch. I didn’t even hear the noise , so I felt very bad. My dogs are small, so if it comes back into the yard the trap will be set up for the night time. It was defiantly bold to come up. And it left me a ton of little paw prints too. I just felt so sad for the mutilated one. She has been fighting to stay alive and we didn’t have the heart to put her down. And today we had to make that choice and she looked at us and it breaks my heart. My old girls are 6 years old and I’d be a wreck if it gets to them.

 

[esme13]

I have them on camera climb a 5 foot fence and climb a coop.View attachment 2239895View attachment 2239899
Notice two coons working to get into coop, one of them on the ground. They are very strong. Secure the trap, if they tip over a box trap they will escape. I secured my trap to the fence with a cable lock.
I used a small can of cat food, fish and seafood flavored with a pop top. Just pop tab don't remove lid. Mice like it too.
Some say marshmallows work to attract a Coon, without attracting other critters. GC

I will lay some cat food in the trap tonight , I don’t like putting something down. But if it comes back in the next few nights .. I’ll be ready for it.

 

[Folly's place]

Small dogs are at risk too! Ours are larger, and take care of any critters who get into the fenced back yard, most recently a raccoon. The dogs have had so many extra rabies boosters in their lifetimes!
Unfortunately the dogs like chicken too, so they help as a presence, but can't be out there at the coop.
Mary

 

[hayley3]

we are enforcing the coop right now. Sadly this was the brooder and it was up a two story porch. I didn’t even hear the noise , so I felt very bad. My dogs are small, so if it comes back into the yard the trap will be set up for the night time. It was defiantly bold to come up. And it left me a ton of little paw prints too. I just felt so sad for the mutilated one. She has been fighting to stay alive and we didn’t have the heart to put her down. And today we had to make that choice and she looked at us and it breaks my heart. My old girls are 6 years old and I’d be a wreck if it gets to them.

Awww, I"m so sorry...