Havahart trap question

[rainbowgardens]

I have a trap that I'd like to put out to trap raccoons. My hens free range. Is there any danger that they may get into the trap and be injured? We've only used it at night while the girls are closed up, but now I have a raccoon coming around in the daytime. Would it be better to use it in an area of the yard the hens don't have access to. I'd hate to lure a raccoon to some bait in the trap and have them decide the chickens grazing nearby would be tastier.

Also, what kind of bait would be good to use in the winter. It would need to lure them even when it's frozen.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

It's possible your chickens will enter the trap, but not likely they would be injured unless several tried to go in at one time, and one was caught under the door itself.

Cheap sardines make a good bait, as well as cheap cat food (both canned and dry). Get a "fishy " flavor.
Get sardines in oil, and pour a trail of oil leading into the trap

 

[Attack Chicken]

I've kept my trap open during the day with marshmellows and an egg in there. The chooks never even cared for the trap and left it alone. I caught 2 possums in there when there wasn't any bait! LOL

 

[Rooster#3]

no the will be fine

 

[gsim]

Be aware that one sign of a coon with distemper or rabies can be daytime activity and less of a fear of humans. Do not approach one without a weapon of some kind. Do not let your dog chase one if there is water within a quarter mile. A coon can drown a dog 3 times his size in 2 ft of water. They will run just far enough into the water to get the dog to follow and then will stop and wait for the dog, unless a tree is handy.

 

[hankus]

Bait with half a honey bun. Consume other half for reward of a job well done.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

When I'm cleaning fish I always save the head and skeleton for bait and keep them in the freezer.

 

[rosco]

I trapped pest pigeons at work for a while at a flour mill. a friend at another flour mill borrowed my trap and put it on top of the grain elevator. the day of an important inspection, a fat, bloody racoon, covered in feathers, was found near a grain unloading pit. apparently the racoon raided my trap on top of the grain elevator and when climbing down was so fat it fell off the side of the building. my trap was large enough to fit 50 pigeons and a coon. the trap was damaged, probably when the coon decided it had enough and wanted to leave.

a havahart trap only traps one animal at a time. you might want to stake the trap down so another animal can't harrass an already trapped coon/possum. it is unlikely that a chicken would go in the trap.

i trap neighborhood fruit thieving squirrels. Once, our dogs had access to the trap with a squirrel in it. dogs will roll and toss it all day. yeah, it was sad for the squirrel. we let that one go instead of using the trashbag/tailpipe treatment.

 

[xke4]

I use peanut butter and smear it on the flap on the inside so they have to work at it and thereby set off the trap door. Make sure you weight the trap down so they don't try to roll it over instead of going inside.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
I've caught my hen Queenie on marshmallows twice. I've caught all 4 of my hens at different days during a week long period!!! They are never hurt in the trap. Seems like it messes up their feathers, especially their tail, because they turn around in the cage and the feathers stick through the wires and get all bent up. No injuries though. Once or twice they were in there most of the day, which sucks them being without water while I'm gone to work, so I started closing the trap (tripping it) before I leave for work.

Be aware that one sign of a coon with distemper or rabies can be daytime activity and less of a fear of humans.

This is my immediate thought whenever I hear about raccoons being active in the daytime!!! Be careful, especially of your pets.​