How to stop a raccoon!?!?

[Jimmyjaffee]

Just last week, I went up to Vermont to meet family, I was only gone for two days. I made sure to provide all my poultry and waterfowl with enough food and water to last them up to a week. When I got back I was horrified to find seven of my bantam chickens dead!!! It was a bloodbath!!! It didn't take me long to find the entry of the predator. A small hole in the roofing of the pen that the predator broke in through. I fixed up the hole and secured any other possible entry ways. That night I stayed up until 4 in the morning only to discover a raccoon was the culprit, not one, but TWO!!! I decided that this would be a unique opportunity to observe them to see if they could find other ways in and how to find new ways to improve the pen. The raccoons climbed up the fencing and on the roof but were baffled that their point of entry wad closed off. After a couple of minutes of wandering around they finally left. Is there any way to get rid of them? I've seen other raccoons around the property and I think there might be more. How can I get rid of all the raccoons? I am thinking of installing an electric fence that would be active at night to stop the raccoons but I don't want to hurt any of my ducks or chickens. I'm not afraid to kill the stupid greedy fat rat that did this to my beloved chickens and I will kill all the stupid glutinous pigs that slaughtered them. R.I.P Lucy, Muriel, Dorothy, Jeanette, Willie, Henrietta, and Dorothy Jr.

 

[redsoxs]

You might be able to live trap one or two (and there are probably more than two) but they wise up to those pretty quickly. You can leg trap them or you can do a stake out and shoot them. Good luck - raccoons are a menace!

 

[SobbaChickens]

I'd personally go hunting. My brothers dog loves a good raccoon.

Sorry for your loss!!

 

[aart]

A couple of hot wires around the base of the wall where the coons climb up should do the trick.

 

[thomasboyle]

Sorry for your losses. I trap coons in cage traps using large marshmallows stuffed in a empty tuna can that is zip tied to the bottom of the cage. They love them, and are usually caught in just a few hours. If I have lost chickens recently, I dispatch the coon. If I haven't had any losses, I take them to work with me 20 miles away and relocate them into a large unihabited forest / lake area.

 

[centrarchid]

I currently trap (have not caught any in over 18 months but keep traps out anyway), use hotwire to repel them from pens as Aart suggest, and have dogs that kill them. Dogs most important part. If dogs tree a raccoon, then I shoot it out for them to finish. I also constantly check pen structure, keep birds roosting out of reach coons from outside, and make every effort to make so no uneaten food is out at night. My raccoons visit first for uneaten feed, then go after eggs and birds. You may have hurt yourself on last point.

 

[mudd32]

.22's work real well too

 

[centrarchid]

.22's work real well too

That is what I use to shoot treed coons out with.

 

[keirys]

Dukes dog proof trap...best traps ever

 

[FenikT]

I concur w/ the Dukes can trap.

On that note, do yourself a favor and dispatch any trapped critters.

If you're going to spend the time, effort, and $$$ live trapping and relocating, you might as well make a TV show about it. You're not doing any favors per se by relocating. Once a predator has the taste for your chickens, he'll either be back at your coop looking for handouts or will simply find the nearest other chicken owner to menace.