How Talented Are Raccoons?

[Howard E]

How talented are raccoons with coop latches? Years ago (BC -- before chickens), we had raccoons raiding our bird feeders. Then they disappeared without us really doing anything to repel them. But now, they're back. I'm bringing the bird feeders into the house at night and making sure there is nothing edible for them to get into.

All my doors -- access into the coops, runs, and nesting box -- have hinged hasp latches that are secured with simple carabiners. Is this enough to keep them away from my girls?

To the OP, in answer to your original question, I'd say yes.

Coons have remarkable dexterity, but what they posses even more of is incredible strength with those little hands. When they reach in and grab something, it is incredible what they can do. Rip heads off.....rip wires off.....rib boards off. And that is before they start chewing through what they can't rip apart.......

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/coons-believe-it.1170361/

Last summer I was having a running battle with a big old boar.....who was coming in the barn at night to steal cat foot. He destroyed yet another plastic garbage can.......so replaced that with a metal trash can......and heavy rubber tarp strap I used to hold the lid down lasted 2 days before he chewed through that. It now has a metal screen door spring......held in place with carabiners.....and while it kept him out......he tried pretty hard to push it over. Moved it all over the place. So to put a stop to that, figured out a way to wire an electric fencer to the metal garbage can.....and lit him up. Got a funny video of it. Still comes around to steal cat food, but now leaves the garbage can alone.

So aside from your latches on openings, use sturdy metal wire (never chicken wire) at ground level and fasten it tight. Not light duty staples.......use the heavy fence staples or screws and washers (metal roof or siding screws have washers). They can't pull those out.

 

[2hotchicks]

To the OP, in answer to your original question, I'd say yes.

Coons have remarkable dexterity, but what they posses even more of is incredible strength with those little hands. When they reach in and grab something, it is incredible what they can do. Rip heads off.....rip wires off.....rib boards off. And that is before they start chewing through what they can't rip apart.......

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/coons-believe-it.1170361/

Last summer I was having a running battle with a big old boar.....who was coming in the barn at night to steal cat foot. He destroyed yet another plastic garbage can.......so replaced that with a metal trash can......and heavy rubber tarp strap I used to hold the lid down lasted 2 days before he chewed through that. It now has a metal screen door spring......held in place with carabiners.....and while it kept him out......he tried pretty hard to push it over. Moved it all over the place. So to put a stop to that, figured out a way to wire an electric fencer to the metal garbage can.....and lit him up. Got a funny video of it. Still comes around to steal cat food, but now leaves the garbage can alone.

So aside from your latches on openings, use sturdy metal wire (never chicken wire) at ground level and fasten it tight. Not light duty staples.......use the heavy fence staples or screws and washers (metal roof or siding screws have washers). They can't pull those out.

Glad he wasn't stealing cat foot, you scared me for a second there

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

Yikes! Thankfully, no boars in this neck of the woods. I have hardware cloth, screws and washers, 4x4 posts, and hopefully, the Fort Knox replica in that respect -- at least in the formal runs (my DH is a builder/remodeler). My "outside" run needs improvement (it's an annex that has overhead netting). Just getting a little nervous about the simple carabiner clips. Now you have me thinking that I should get padlocks, at least for the 3 outside doors.

The girls have access to the outside run until dusk. At that time, they get locked into the main coop/run area.

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

Admittedly the keys can be a pain. Maybe you could beef up security on the doors you cannot see?
I love my Wyze cameras, they are cheap & easy to use, & I am not tech savvy. I have one in my little coop (I have 2 chickens). The bottom of camera is magnetic so I just stuck it on a metal brace in the coop. I also have a camera outside the coop & run. You can set up monitoring & notifications easily via the app. I am notified if there is any movement or sound in my backyard at night. The cameras need to access your wifi to work. I can be 1,000 miles from home & see my chickens (as long as my phone has service). Great product for the price.

Yes, they are pretty reasonable cameras! That would be so cool to be able to access the camera while I'm away!

Thinking I might padlock the 2 doors that I can't see from the house.

 

[NatJ]

Maybe put two latches, each with a carabiner, on each door?

I'm thinking that even if a raccoon gets one carabiner off, then opens the hasp-- the door still won't open because of the other one. So he will hopefully see that as a plaything but not useful, and go do something else.

Two carabiners may be easier for the person than one padlock + key.

(No personal experience with raccoons, but I wouldn't trust myself not to lose the key, nor would I trust myself to correctly use the key with either gloves or cold fingers. So this is what I would do.)

 

[cmom]

I do see coons on my game cameras now and then but they haven't messed with my birds so far, but I do have electric wire around my coops and pens. Years ago hubby and I traveled in summers. I had a DVR with cameras hooked up that I could remotely access. It was great. That DVR eventually died and was pretty pricey. I did replace it with and the new one has WiFi capabilities but I haven't figured out how to get it to work. No matter anymore. We are old and aren't traveling anymore but if we were I'd probably invest in the Wyze cameras. I rarely drive anymore as I have issues with my eyes so hubby does most of the driving but I don't know how much longer he is going to be driving. I have several game cameras but have several acres and can't get WiFi on most of the property. The game cameras work well for me. Now there are WiFi game cameras available. They have come down in price. My cameras are outside exposed to the weather and the Wyze cameras are AC. I use rechargeable batteries in my game cameras. I do use them in the video mode which does use the batteries more so I do have to change them out a bit more often but they last a long time in the picture mode. The Wyze cameras do have after market weather proof cases for them. Don't know how weather proof they are. Here are a couple of not recent pictures.

 

[Hanathehappyhen]

They're pretty good at breaking in. If you have a open roof run they'll just climb over the top. And if there's any weak spots in the fencing, they'll force their way through. If you have a flip latch they use their hands to open it up. For me my carabeener works fine and no raccoons could break in. You could put an electric fence around them so if raccoons or foxes try to climb over or under they'll get a little shock.

 

[Chullicken]

A lot of the time the issue with us people is we don't make enough steps when we secure things like latches, locks, gates and that boat that flew off our trailer an into the store parking lot a couple of years ago. Wow, that woke me up! Raccoons in all their sneakiness are little puzzle geniuses so keep that in mind. Simple one-step lock and they'll be in everything you don't want them in. Multi-process locks and carabiner's are a great way to make these lock puzzles unsolvable for their little wee paws. I always keep in mind when securing things for my birds and things like that 'Two Clicks'. If it has a two process requirement to unfasten, you'll keep things out.

 

[IamRainey]

http://www.poultrydvm.com/featured-infographic/tips-for-protecting-poultry-from-predators

That is a WONDERFUL resource, ellenscoop! Someone should make that into some sort of stickie.

 

[cmom]

They're pretty good at breaking in. If you have a open roof run they'll just climb over the top. And if there's any weak spots in the fencing, they'll force their way through. If you have a flip latch they use their hands to open it up. For me my carabeener works fine and no raccoons could break in. You could put an electric fence around them so if raccoons or foxes try to climb over or under they'll get a little shock.

I have a pretty powerful fence charger so if a predator touches the wire, they are going to feel it. When I have forgotten to turn it off and touched the wire, it has made my heart skip several beats. In addition, I have heavy duty netting covering all of the pens. Each square on the 2"x2" per square netting can take 85 pounds of pressure. They may be able to break through but haven't tried yet. I have concrete under all of the gates. Recently I got a video of a cat prowling around my chick/grow-out coop. It touched the electric wire and shot up in the air and when it came down it sat for a moment with a look of "what just happened?" then it took off. I have tried to upload it but I keep getting a message it's not the correct file format. It's an AVI which is on the list for approved formats but won't load. Don't know why.