*graphic* what predator attacks like this

[one chick]

This looks like what happened to my chicken yesterday four of them were slaughtered while I was in the plane coming back for Massachusetts. Their heads were torn off and one of them was totally missing My coop is enclosed but then I cut a hole so that they could go out to the 15 ft run that's got a 15-ft fence I don't know if raccoons can climb or not My neighbors say yes they can I also see chicken hawks in the sky but my dog usually barks and they go away I've also had possums in there and of course the darn groundhogs eat the food. What can I kill the raccoon with I'm ready I got a gun as well and I'm not shy. My heart is broken cuz I've had them for so long they used to follow me all around the backyard Make me smile

 

[one chick]

This looks like what happened to my chicken yesterday four of them were slaughtered while I was in the plane coming back for Massachusetts. Their heads were torn off and one of them was totally missing My coop is enclosed but then I cut a hole so that they could go out to the 15 ft run that's got a 15-ft fence I don't know if raccoons can climb or not My neighbors say yes they can I also see chicken hawks in the sky but my dog usually barks and they go away I've also had possums in there and of course the darn groundhogs eat the food. What can I kill the raccoon with I'm ready I got a gun as well and I'm not shy. My heart is broken cuz I've had them for so long they used to follow me all around the backyard Make me smile

 

[SilverBirds]

This looks like what happened to my chicken yesterday four of them were slaughtered while I was in the plane coming back for Massachusetts. Their heads were torn off and one of them was totally missing My coop is enclosed but then I cut a hole so that they could go out to the 15 ft run that's got a 15-ft fence I don't know if raccoons can climb or not My neighbors say yes they can I also see chicken hawks in the sky but my dog usually barks and they go away I've also had possums in there and of course the darn groundhogs eat the food. What can I kill the raccoon with I'm ready I got a gun as well and I'm not shy. My heart is broken cuz I've had them for so long they used to follow me all around the backyard Make me smile

I'm so terribly sorry for your loss. Raccoons are very skilled at climbing, and from the pictures that does look to be what has attacked your chickens. Looking at your setup it does not look like your run is covered at the top? As you've unfortunately had to find out, predators will try to find any entry point they can, and an uncovered top is easy access for climbers and flyers. If you plan on getting more chickens again I strongly recommend covering the top with some sort of netting. I can't tell if that chain-link is the whole run or just part of it, but the holes are big enough for smaller predators to slip through, so you may want to look into predator proofing that as well.

To catch the raccoons, you can use live traps or attempt to bait them onto your property to shoot them. Even if you do kill a dozen raccoons there will always be more that will come. The best thing you can do is reevaluate your setup to make sure everything is sound and safe.

 

[one chick]

I'm so terribly sorry for your loss. Raccoons are very skilled at climbing, and from the pictures that does look to be what has attacked your chickens. Looking at your setup it does not look like your run is covered at the top? As you've unfortunately had to find out, predators will try to find any entry point they can, and an uncovered top is easy access for climbers and flyers. If you plan on getting more chickens again I strongly recommend covering the top with some sort of netting. I can't tell if that chain-link is the whole run or just part of it, but the holes are big enough for smaller predators to slip through, so you may want to look into predator proofing that as well.

To catch the raccoons, you can use live traps or attempt to bait them onto your property to shoot them. Even if you do kill a dozen raccoons there will always be more that will come. The best thing you can do is reevaluate your setup to make sure everything is sound and safe.

Thank you for your quick and encouraging reply Yes I always meant to cover that part of the run but I never got around to it and thus I feel responsible for this slaughtering but I've never thought of putting a net on the top that would be the best thing that would stop anything from flying in or getting in and if it tries to get in the net would tangle it up so I could kill it That's a perfect idea I just put some ammonia around the coop and I also ordered those raccoon steaks that flash on motion and make a sound that would drive them crazy on Amazon so hopefully that will work but again I'm in Tennessee and our winters are very cold and I always would take my chickens in the house during the winter and since I'm pushing 80 it's probably a good idea that I wait until spring to see how I feel mentally I want to get them but physically I don't know thank you for your concerns

 

[SilverBirds]

Thank you for your quick and encouraging reply Yes I always meant to cover that part of the run but I never got around to it and thus I feel responsible for this slaughtering but I've never thought of putting a net on the top that would be the best thing that would stop anything from flying in or getting in and if it tries to get in the net would tangle it up so I could kill it That's a perfect idea I just put some ammonia around the coop and I also ordered those raccoon steaks that flash on motion and make a sound that would drive them crazy on Amazon so hopefully that will work but again I'm in Tennessee and our winters are very cold and I always would take my chickens in the house during the winter and since I'm pushing 80 it's probably a good idea that I wait until spring to see how I feel mentally I want to get them but physically I don't know thank you for your concerns

I think that is a good plan. Again, very sorry for your loss and hopefully things work out for you in the future.

 

[DLA]

Thank you for your quick and encouraging reply Yes I always meant to cover that part of the run but I never got around to it and thus I feel responsible for this slaughtering but I've never thought of putting a net on the top that would be the best thing that would stop anything from flying in or getting in and if it tries to get in the net would tangle it up so I could kill it That's a perfect idea I just put some ammonia around the coop and I also ordered those raccoon steaks that flash on motion and make a sound that would drive them crazy on Amazon so hopefully that will work but again I'm in Tennessee and our winters are very cold and I always would take my chickens in the house during the winter and since I'm pushing 80 it's probably a good idea that I wait until spring to see how I feel mentally I want to get them but physically I don't know thank you for your concerns

I'm sorry for your losses. Raccoons are smart, opportunistic and there are always more of them. I've never had ammonia work to keep raccoons away. Fully covered run with hardware cloth and a buried skirt so nothing can dig under, no gaps anywhere - even small ones and latches even a raccoon can't open is a sure bet. You can get a good sized roll of quality 48 in x 100 ft which is more than enough to do a normal sized run for about $120. I think it's worth it in the long run considering the money you spend on chickens and feed and accessories and the trauma from losing them to a predator.
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