Hi New Friends!

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doys

doys

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I am so excited to be part of backyard chickens because it officially means we have have 2 new family members! My 10 year old daughter is an only child and I kid you not these are like her siblings! She adores them! I do have a question about how to keep raccoons away from them. I have seen one big momma in my yard and eating from the girls coop. I say momma because she was out during the day and I think she has babies to feed. Secondly, is it normal for a chicken to have watery poop? Thank you for your help!
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dawn
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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Sounds like you are enjoying your hens!! When you free range, you run the risk of losing them to predators. You might keep your hens in an enclosed area or even use electric fencing. This keeps most critters out except the flying ones. I usually supervise my birds while they are outside. I don't leave them outside all day, just an hour or two and I keep an eye on them while they are out. Too many predators lurking and flying. When they are not outside I keep them in a predator proof run. Everything eats chicken! Raccoons can and do kill chickens so be very careful if this critter is out and about when your hens are.

As for the watery poop, it all depends. Some food can cause watery poop as can stress, over heating but so can illness, worms, coccidiosis, etc...Do they ever have solid poop or is it always watery? Have they been wormed recently? Is there any blood in the poop at all?

Feel their breast bones. Is there meat on their breasts or are they rail thin? Are they eating and drinking enough?

You might ask this question in our emergency section for more help and input....https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures

If these are fairly new birds, they should probably be wormed. Chickens are susceptible to worms if they are free ranging. Worms consume all the food the bird eats and will kill the birds over time. You can ask about this in the emergency section as well.

Good luck with your birds!! I hope they always bring you great joy! Welcome to our flock!
 
Raccoons are one of the worst predators of chickens, they are smart, determined, have opposable thumbs that can open any latch you can. climb, jump down from trees, &dig. They will not miss an chance to reach through fencing and bite off any part of a chicken they can snag.The ones they don't kill will have horrendous wounds and suffering.

The raccoon knows you have chickens and if she really has babies to feed she will be relentless in getting supper for them and herself. Please head for the predator section for advice on dealing with them and keeping them out of your coop and run. If you free range, you have to expect losses to them and other predators. Chickens really don't have much of a defense other than flying away or hiding.
 

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