how determined are racoons and rats?

[Judy]

Quote:
Please consider not feeding your cats in this manner. You will attract more and more rats, raccoons, and skunks. Other nuisance animals like snakes and foxes will follow, and eventually the whole neighborhood will be crawling with them. Raccons are a carrier of rabies and the neighborhood cats and dogs will be in danger. If you must feed cats, let them into the tackroom or whatever, let them eat, and then shoo them out when the food is gone. And make sure the cats get spayed and neutered. Keep all the food secure in metal containers.

I think it is an excellent suggestion not to leave food out for barn cats. A bit of a pain, I know; it is so easy to feed cats by simply leaving dry food out, but it really only works for indoor or indoor/outdoor cats. They can learn to come once or twice a day for a ration, which is taken up after they stop eating.

 

[Bridget399]

I would be MORE afraid of getting MYSELF hurt trying to relocate it...
Coons do terrible things to pets...
Do you have pics of your coop?

 

[pymatuningchix]

Just got home from work about an hour ago. Moved my girls out to the pen this morning and first thing I did was go out and check on them tonight. So far so good.

As far as feeding the barn cats, we keep the cat food shut up in a metal cabinet. If we think about it we put any uneaten food into the cabinet for the night. Normally there isn't too much left at the end of the day. Also, all the outdoor cats are refugees from a cat rescue. They have had their shots and been neutered. We take those that seem to be unadoptable for one reason or another if there is room. We try to limit the number to 12 - 15.

Unfortunately, the coons, oppossums and rats have been around here for years as we are surrounded by woods, cornfields, hayfields and soybeans. We are a rural community. That is why I was obsessing on predator proofing the chicken pen. We will never be rid of the critters totally. Although I do agree that the best method is to send them to meet their maker.

 

[lildinkem]

You better be predator proofing your pen. Cause where it sounds like your at, there must be hundreds of coons within a couple of miles of you. The other nite I had been hit by coons. And my wife heard them the following nite coming back. And forget relocating, your just giving the problem to someone else. Racoons have very few natural predators. I shot these 2 coons with a .22 CB LONG. A low velocity bullet. They went out in the trash today. That is unfortunately part of owning chickens.

 

[pymatuningchix]

Oh yeah. I was very insistent about doing everything possible to prevent the critters from getting in. There were chickens on this farm years ago, and I mean YEARS ago. My husband says they didn't have too many problems then. If they do get in, they had to REALLY work at it. I didn't make it easy for them.

 

[CMV]

Quote:
THIS is the key. Ounce of prevention, pound of cure, etc.

 

[chickengoddess]

Racoons are very hard to get rid of!

I lost over 20 chickens last year to them. I had to train my dogs to guard my barn at night. I have wild cats that come and go all the time so i have to leave food out! Another thing i've learned to keep coons away is locking up larger animals with your chickens. I've got four goats in my barn with my chickens at night and i haven't had any problems. The noise of something making sounds inside the barn keeps them out.

 

[pymatuningchix]

Quick update about coons. Our dog "treed" one in the barn where coop is. We didn't do anything that night. The dog "treed" it again tonight. After reading all the different post on the forum, we dealt with it tonight. My husband dispatched it. Felt bad as it was a momma, but the safety of the chickens and the cats comes first. Unfortunately, there are a lot more around us and we can't get them all.

 

[lildinkem]

Trust me IF you seen the devastation that a pair did to my birds, you'd feel better about getting rid of them. 2 coons killed 10 of my birds in one nite and then only ate two birds. They kill for fun, so feel good about getting rid of one. Many times they run in pairs. And a well placed .22 bullet in the head and they'll never know what hit them.