How protective are you?

[gritsar]

I hear the coyotes on our property every night. Our coop was built with the coyotes and the other critters on this property in mind.
I don't worry about the chickens at night. If it happens, it happens.

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
Well you should try to live trap him. Then in the case of the fox, you could have a wildlife person relocate him. And you could just dispatch the others.

If it were only possums, the .22 rifle (pointed at one on the ground, not up, not sideways) can work and is relatively quiet. The raccoons are trickier - probably a shotgun as they travel less far, but the noise....

Sounds like a live trap, to me.

My live trap has really come in handy. We bought a big one, raccoon size, because we actually had a raccoon here (not a natural species around here) and we didn't want to kill him. He wasn't doing anything except eating the cat and dog food, but we didn't want that headache!!! Today we released a cat that was beating up my neutered cat- he was too tricky to shoot, so we set the live trap, and got him last night-YAY!!! No more beat up kitty!!! We took him far away to an old barn, should have no problem finding mice.

Yeah I really don't want to shoot a raccoon unless I have to. We have a live trap, but I'm afraid it's smaller than i want for a big raccoon. Looks like I need to go shopping for another one.

I've heard they're mad for marshmallows. But I know they'll trigger traps if you just place the food inside. I was told to dig a hole in the ground, stake the trap on top of the hole so that the hold is under the trap. They reach through to try to get the marshmallows in the hole (from the inside) and trigger the trap while they're in it.

With their skinny agile arms, just putting them in the trap is no good. They're too smart for it.

 

[fiberart57]

Hello,
Interesting thread. I do have a couple of comments. First is that where I live, inside a town, shooting a firearm inside city limits is illegal whether or not there is a racoon attacking the chickens. That's why the live trap suggestion was made, I think.

I think the best bet is to make sure that the chickens' living area is secure against predators. Having said that, I know there are no absolutes in the world and despite all precautions things happen. Predators are just doing what is natural to them.

A word about coyotes: I grew up in the Sonoran Desert, coyote central, and they are bold and wily. Don't ever underestimate them. I had a small beagle that would go horseback riding with me and traveled underneath the horse's belly (a very good horse). One day I looked back and saw a coyote shadowing us, waiting for the chance to get her.

Mary

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
Well the live trap suggestion was also made for the sake of gun safety and close houses. That's primarily why. But it's true about regulations. And I so very much agree about making their cages predator proof. For raccoons that means that you can't just staple welded wire to boards - you should cover the stapled ends with a board screwed over the edges. They can and will rip that stuff right off, even if using the strong U-staples and good welded wire. I learned this the hard way. Just one board, screwed three times per 6 feet, could have stopped that. Also they can open basic latches. (Another lesson hard learned.) I lost a whole line of show chickens who opened my 1x1/2" wire coops (small enough to where they couldn't reach through - I thought I was smart) and killed everything. Not for food -for sport.

 

[IDIOT HUSBAND]

I live in the country. I shoot everything in sight, almost shot my own cat one night.

If I did live in the city and could not shoot. I would use a live trap or a snare trap to target the varmits. If I had a particularly tough critter I would use a 22 short to shoot it I know that would be illegal but they are very quite.

 

[threehorses]

I love my little .22 rifles. The ammo is .22LR. The rifle's length allows for better aim but you can still shoot it close. And less noise. And less kick. I have three of them - my dad's first rifle, my own first rifle, and one that my ex gave me as a Valentine's present one year.

I'm heck on cans. And now, possums apparently. I asked them nicely to leave. They didn't. I tried to trap. They evaded.

 

[highschoolhatcher]

Hey, even though I'm only 16 if I hear a raccoon fiddling around in the back I have dog in left and airsoft rifle in right I would do anything to protect Junior(my little chick) my 2 roosters and araucanas