Hey, Will Raccoons Eat My Chickens?

[Mudinscio]

Our dogs were barking at the grasshopper farting in the grass. At least, that's what we initially thought. Then, my husband spotted a bandit with stripes peering into our 2nd floor window, straight across from the top of his garage...he was LARGE!!! He told me with baited breath about the size of this interloper staring back at him, and thought of the different colored eggs that I collect everyday. Now, a raccoon might eat these eggs, but now I'm wondering, could a large raccoon devour my beautiful bird babies? Just asking for advice and information from some of you long time chicken mommies, if this may be a threat? If so, shotgun is handy....my husband says that this furry character is probably around 40 or 50lbs. and our dogs are not big enough to handle him. Ignore, trap or shoot it?

If you can get a clear, safe shot at him, that's what I suggest. Raccoons can become very aggressive when backed into a corner, so protect your dogs! Although raccoons look cute and cuddly, I assure you they are NOT. If it can find a way into your coop or catch your chickens free-ranging at dusk, it will wreak havoc. When we spot a raccoon, we wait until dark and use a flashlight to spot its glowing eyes, then shoot it with either a .22 or shotgun, depending on where it is hiding. We find them in trees and under decks, etc.

 

[birdlady11]

The first and most important thing for you to do is to secure your coop and run so NO KIND of predator can reach your girls.

One-inch chicken wire allows coon hands and arms to reach right through and grab and kill a chicken. Try to use either 1/2-inch hardware cloth or solid wood or metal on the bottom two feet of your run. That way predators can't reach through the wire and out-of-sight is many times good enough for out-of-mind.

Animals from mice to bears can climb up fencing. If your coop is not closed, secured, and predator proof at night then anything can climb into the run and walk into the coop. Either secure the coop while the chickens are sleeping in it or cover the run with chicken wire so predators can't climb into the run and reach the coop.

If you want to use a lock, a simple key padlock will work - no key, no entrance. A combination lock will work as well - no animal can figure out and manipulate a combination lock. The correct bolts with snaps on doors and windows also are undefeatable by coons.

If possible bury a barrier a foot down around the outside perimeter of your run and coop so that nothing can dig under and into your chickens' safe place. Chicken wire buried doesn't last that long before it rusts. You can use pressure-treated wood, solid metal, hardware cloth, and I've even seen people use the corrugated PVC plastic roof panels which were 2'x8' cut in half lengthwise gave them 16 feet of underground protection per panel.

Running a couple of strands of electric fencing around your coop/run is a surefire way of keeping any climbing/digging predators from getting to your girls.

Don't waste your time with a sprinkler system thinking it will ward off raccoons. Coons absolutely LOVE water and the only thing a sprinkler system will do is encourage raccoons to visit your water park to play in the spray! Radio's will have little effect because animals quickly become accustomed to the sound and will come to learn it is not a threat. Raccoons and in fact most animals are not frightened off by motion sensor floodlights either. That works best for two-footed intruders.

I would strongly discourage shooting this raccoon. First, he hasn't proven that he's out for chicken dinner. He just happened to be there when you looked out and for all you know he's always been in your area going about his daily efforts to survive and coexisting with you without any conflict since you moved into his territory. He doesn't deserve to die just because he exists.

Second, kill one coon and that available territory will quickly be filled by another coon and when you kill that one another will move into the gap which leaves you in an endless cycle of killing creatures who may just be passing through with no ill intent toward your chickens.

Third and most importantly, if you predator proof your coop and run you won't have to worry about predators attacks or having to kill anything because your chickens will have a safe haven in their coop and run.

As for your raccoon weighing 50 pounds, I've been a wildlife rehabber for over 40 years and have worked with hundreds of coons and in all that time I've never ever seen a wild raccoon that came close to weighing 50 pounds. That's not to say there are not coons that fat but in my experience coons in the big-and-tall club are invariably someone's pet raccoon who eats nothing but junk food and sits in a cage with little to no exercise. There would have to be a substantial amount of available garbage for a coon to be that fat. In a more northerly climate fall/winter/early spring raccoons will grow an impressively thick and fluffy coat that makes them look absolutely huge, especially if one is not familiar with raccoons.

I hope I've helped you figure out the best option for keeping your girls safe. I'm confident with a little work and a little understanding you can learn to coexist with and come to enjoy the creatures you share your world with.

 

[Kerryssweetchickens]

Our dogs were barking at the grasshopper farting in the grass. At least, that's what we initially thought. Then, my husband spotted a bandit with stripes peering into our 2nd floor window, straight across from the top of his garage...he was LARGE!!! He told me with baited breath about the size of this interloper staring back at him, and thought of the different colored eggs that I collect everyday. Now, a raccoon might eat these eggs, but now I'm wondering, could a large raccoon devour my beautiful bird babies? Just asking for advice and information from some of you long time chicken mommies, if this may be a threat? If so, shotgun is handy....my husband says that this furry character is probably around 40 or 50lbs. and our dogs are not big enough to handle him. Ignore, trap or shoot it?

 

[Kerryssweetchickens]

*sigh* I tried... Poor coon.
First line of defense is always a secure coop; that way too many people aren't wreaking war on nature.

Edit: I think you may like this article:

Protecting Your Chickens from Springtime Predators

Spring bursts forth with vibrant life, but for backyard chicken owners, the season also ushers in a period of heightened vigilance. As the world awakens from winter's slumber, so do the appetites of a variety of predators that view your feathered friends as a tempting snack. Understanding these...

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• Mar 16, 2024
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take care ; )

A racoon just killed my sweet little girl. You can tell it’s a racoon when they basically eat the breast and leave everything else there, including the heart! A few days later, the racoon was heading back to my coop….luckily my two hounds scared it first!

 

[Sono]

Yes, Ive lost a dozen chickens to the Bandits.... Check hunting regulations and make you a nice coon hat to keep your ears warm in the winter and warn the other critters what becomes of them when they mess with your babies ! and if they are in a coop/run, you might want to invest in a solar electric fence to add protection, love mine and havent lost a bird yet in 4 years !

 

[TBV]

Yes, they will steal your eggs and kill your chickens. If they can get their little hands in the coop, and grab a chicken, they will strangle it. That’s why you should never use chicken wire. If your wire is stapled to your coop, they can pull it away from the wood and create a hole to enter. Wire should be secured with screws and WASHERS. Washers help secure the wire. Also check your locks and latches. There was a study done that you can read about online where they tested raccoons and latches. They put food in 13 small compartments. Each compartment had a different type of latch. They set it outdoors with night cameras on it. The raccoons were able to figure out how to open 11 out of the 13 latches. They are extremely smart and those little hands make it a breeze to open all kinds of containers too. If your husband saw a really fat raccoon, then it is more than likely a pro scavenger. Also, they’re not selfish. If they successfully find food somewhere, they will return with their entire family. So you may end up with a yard full of raccoons. Secure your coop. If he’s not successful, he’ll move on to another area.

 

[Magpiezoe]

Our dogs were barking at the grasshopper farting in the grass. At least, that's what we initially thought. Then, my husband spotted a bandit with stripes peering into our 2nd floor window, straight across from the top of his garage...he was LARGE!!! He told me with baited breath about the size of this interloper staring back at him, and thought of the different colored eggs that I collect everyday. Now, a raccoon might eat these eggs, but now I'm wondering, could a large raccoon devour my beautiful bird babies? Just asking for advice and information from some of you long time chicken mommies, if this may be a threat? If so, shotgun is handy....my husband says that this furry character is probably around 40 or 50lbs. and our dogs are not big enough to handle him. Ignore, trap or shoot it?

Yes, racoons eat chicken and it doesn't matter if the chicken is an adult or babies. We had it happen to our first set of chickens. We had 2 big, beautiful Rhode Island Reds that someone gave us. Had them for a couple of years, then one day we went out to the coop and found them dead. The racoons came down a tree and through a hole in the bird netting we had over the chicken yard. Jeff was found half eaten in the yard and Amanda was half eaten in the nesting box. It felt like I was in the movie, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." It is the worst site any backyard chicken enthusiast could witness. They even left their calling card (feces) on top of the outside of the nesting box. When we read up about them we found out that they will eat half of the chicken and leave the rest for the next night. The calling card helps mark the place they are to come back to. Hubby was so angry, that he did some raccoon hunting. We learned our lesson to secure the coop better and make sure we close it up at night.

 

[kbroom]

I wouldn't know about whether to trap or shoot it, but it definitely would eat your birds if it can reach them in any way. Triple check your coop for holes or areas where it could enter. Replace parts or the coop that are weak for heavier duty options and make sure the run and coop are entirely locked each night with strong locks.

It's a pen and within it is a coop that's all hardware cloth and more. They go in there every night with their little night light and it's very secure.

 

[kbroom]

Yes, they will steal your eggs and kill your chickens. If they can get their little hands in the coop, and grab a chicken, they will strangle it. That’s why you should never use chicken wire. If your wire is stapled to your coop, they can pull it away from the wood and create a hole to enter. Wire should be secured with screws and WASHERS. Washers help secure the wire. Also check your locks and latches. There was a study done that you can read about online where they tested raccoons and latches. They put food in 13 small compartments. Each compartment had a different type of latch. They set it outdoors with night cameras on it. The raccoons were able to figure out how to open 11 out of the 13 latches. They are extremely smart and those little hands make it a breeze to open all kinds of containers too. If your husband saw a really fat raccoon, then it is more than likely a pro scavenger. Also, they’re not selfish. If they successfully find food somewhere, they will return with their entire family. So you may end up with a yard full of raccoons. Secure your coop. If he’s not successful, he’ll move on to another area.

Wow. I might re-think the latches. I might try to find out which latches they could not open. Thank you.

 

[Piney woods]

Our dogs were barking at the grasshopper farting in the grass. At least, that's what we initially thought. Then, my husband spotted a bandit with stripes peering into our 2nd floor window, straight across from the top of his garage...he was LARGE!!! He told me with baited breath about the size of this interloper staring back at him, and thought of the different colored eggs that I collect everyday. Now, a raccoon might eat these eggs, but now I'm wondering, could a large raccoon devour my beautiful bird babies? Just asking for advice and information from some of you long time chicken mommies, if this may be a threat? If so, shotgun is handy....my husband says that this furry character is probably around 40 or 50lbs. and our dogs are not big enough to handle him. Ignore, trap or shoot it?

They will most definitely kill your chickens. I'd trap them in a live trap with sardines or any junk food and relocate them or whatever. I wouldn't wait around to see what happens.