How much space (in inches) does a raccoon need to enter a coop?

[robcourt]

thanks everyone for the feedback. its been a tough week, down to 2 ladies and our roo. i've started to build an entirely secure 4'x4'x4' cube, lined in hardware cloth for roosting at night. this will buy us time while we reinforce the entire coop (inside an old, less than desirably garage). i feel better this way, so i can bait a trap as well to determine if they are still finding a way into the garage and the coop. you all are so helpful.

 

[Merchris]

We just had the same thing. I lost 10 out of 12 chickens. We looked all through the coop and my hubby found about a 2 inch gap from the barn to the coop. We weren't what could fit in there until we saw the raccoon that must have done it trying to dig up the area where we buried our other chickens. It was a larger baby raccoon. Now I'm afraid to put the remaining 2 chickens back in that coop for now, they're sleeping in my feed room for now. I'm sorry you had to go through that too. It's very sad. I lost 2 of my favorites that night.

 

[City Chicken]

we just lost 8 last night because my son left a 3-4 inch gap in the door (didn't latch it properly). i am majorly bummed out. we are going to soak one in anti freeze and leave it out by the coop tonight. makes me so mad. the other 4 were properly locked up, so we didn't loose them. what a waist...

 

[Folly's place]

Please set live traps immediately, and shoot the coons, possums, and shunks that you catch!! They will return and find a way to get your birds, sometimes in daylight. Poison might kill anyone, and is a much worse death. Mary

 

[Kammyhill]

It could also be Rats or snakes! I have my coops set up like Fort Knox! Near my window, with cameras Recently have seen a bear come for my ducks twice in 1 week....its Sept and they are looking in Sept & Oct to fatten up for winter! They are very strong and a real threat! I've scared him off twice!

 

[cmom]

It could also be Rats or snakes! I have my coops set up like Fort Knox! Near my window, with cameras Recently have seen a bear come for my ducks twice in 1 week....its Sept and they are looking in Sept & Oct to fatten up for winter! They are very strong and a real threat! I've scared him off twice!

This is an older thread. Hopefully they found out what the predator was. We have a lot of predators that roam around here but mostly at night. I have several game cameras up and most nights see a predator on at least one of the cameras. I also have electric wires around my coops and pens. I have a quite powerful fence charger and when a predator has tested the hot wires they don't test them again. I also have good heavy duty netting covering my pens and concrete under the gates. Lessons learned the hard way. Good luck...

 

[wdlewis1000]

We just had the same thing. I lost 10 out of 12 chickens. We looked all through the coop and my hubby found about a 2 inch gap from the barn to the coop. We weren't what could fit in there until we saw the raccoon that must have done it trying to dig up the area where we buried our other chickens. It was a larger baby raccoon. Now I'm afraid to put the remaining 2 chickens back in that coop for now, they're sleeping in my feed room for now. I'm sorry you had to go through that too. It's very sad. I lost 2 of my favorites that night.

I lost the remainder of our flock last night. We've seen a mother raccoon and her 4 pups. You are the first one I've found mentioned 2" with a young raccoon. My coop has a roof with 2×4 roof rafters. So there is a 2½" opening at the roof line. I did find 1 single feather in this space. The bantam bodies are missing so they must have been drugged through this opening. Prior I've relocated 3 of the pups. I will need to close off this space prior to getting more chicks.

 

[AGeese]

I lost the remainder of our flock last night. We've seen a mother raccoon and her 4 pups. You are the first one I've found mentioned 2" with a young raccoon. My coop has a roof with 2×4 roof rafters. So there is a 2½" opening at the roof line. I did find 1 single feather in this space. The bantam bodies are missing so they must have been drugged through this opening. Prior I've relocated 3 of the pups. I will need to close off this space prior to getting more chicks.

Welcome to BYC, if racoons can't fit through a weasel or a snake will.

Although this is an older thread, I'll just point out the 2x4 welded wire can be bent open easily and that's how bigger things get through it.

 

[wdlewis1000]

Welcome to BYC, if racoons can't fit through a weasel or a snake will.

Although this is an older thread, I'll just point out the 2x4 welded wire can be bent open easily and that's how bigger things get through it.

I've been told by everyone I talked to that it is most likely a raccoon. However, I trapped a weasel in the coop last night. So by my experience now is that weasels will decapitate a chicken too. I found feathers in the opening at the roof line. Before I get more chickens I will close off this gap.

Thank you for your response.