Incubating and discouraged

[RosieR]

I just scanned this thread and saw this! The neighbors were feeding wild racoons! I would be furious! Don’t people know you don’t feed these wild animals they will NEVER leave you alone and when you stop feeding them you get trash can mess, dead animals (quail/chickens/rabbits people keep), and break ins. Yes break ins! And even if they don’t feed them they can break in and do a ton of damage.

You can get a trap at tractor supply I think around $20. You have to check your state laws though, here in SC it’s very lax meaning if any animal is damaging your property within 100 yards of your property then well, you know, you are within your right, anyway the law also states you can trap the pest animal BUT if you trap it you must NOT release so you know... you have to kill it and some people can’t or won’t do that. But we follow the laws and while I love animals I also love my animals quails/chickens and I’ve lost a hen to a raccoon before, and I lost 5 to the neighbors dog (sued him, and won), so yes we trap nusaince animals that are insistent on killing our flock.

I mean if they are released they will only damage someone else’s property or come back. So it makes sense. We haven’t had any in a while. They really are a pain. I would never ever feed these things. Or opossums they don’t do as much damage to structures but they will absolutely get in a coop if they can and kill. People say how cute and sweet they are and misunderstood - um not when it’s about to eat my chickens I understand it just fine thanks.

Feeding raccoons, infuriating!!!!! So sorry!!!

edit to add that we have a “nest” cam from amazon and a sub for $10 a month I think, so I have a sign outback on the coop that says surveillance camera in use (of course animals can’t read haha but humans can!) and it picks up motion and alerts me - hence being able to catch the neighbors dog on camera and win the court case easy peasy! Now I know if any racoons or other predators are outside as I am alerted by my phone. Ok that’s all just wanted to say that.

Yes we brought all that to their attention. But they are being stubborn. It’s super maddening!
We are going to borrow a trap and try to get this under control. There have been up to 6 of them hanging around. They definitely get into things if they don’t get their dinner on time. I’m praying they decide to get into the neighbors house and not mine!

 

[cosmosue]

Yes this should be their problem not yours but that’s not always how things work and now you have to worry for your home and flock! Ugh!

 

[RosieR]

Yes this should be their problem not yours but that’s not always how things work and now you have to worry for your home and flock! Ugh!

Ugh I know! So frustrating!
I’ve only lost 2 birds so far, but they make a mess of the garbage!
We can’t use guns in town but I have a water gun with a mix of water and hot sauce by the door I squirt them with if they come on the property. They really hate that!

 

[cosmosue]

Can you use pellet guns? We can use a gun if an animal is threatening us/our children/our animals but we usually just use the pellet rifle as it’s quiet.

I know you can’t just go shooting off of course but if there is a danger? Should be able to protect yourself though it depends where you live. If any wild animals including dogs, come to my backyard I go out armed, the police have informed me this is my right to protect my property after I filed reports that lead to the civil suit I filed against a neighbor which I won after his husky and pom broke into my coop and killed all my hens. The dogs took off - lucky for them - but he still had to pay $700 in damages and loss.

I wonder if you can report the neighbors for feeding wild animals as this is usually illegal in most areas? I think might start there.

Ugh I know! So frustrating!
I’ve only lost 2 birds so far, but they make a mess of the garbage!
We can’t use guns in town but I have a water gun with a mix of water and hot sauce by the door I squirt them with if they come on the property. They really hate that!

 

[RosieR]

Can you use pellet guns? We can use a gun if an animal is threatening us/our children/our animals but we usually just use the pellet rifle as it’s quiet.

I know you can’t just go shooting off of course but if there is a danger? Should be able to protect yourself though it depends where you live. If any wild animals including dogs, come to my backyard I go out armed, the police have informed me this is my right to protect my property after I filed reports that lead to the civil suit I filed against a neighbor which I won after his husky and pom broke into my coop and killed all my hens. The dogs took off - lucky for them - but he still had to pay $700 in damages and loss.

I wonder if you can report the neighbors for feeding wild animals as this is usually illegal in most areas? I think might start there.

No it’s not illegal to feed them, I called and checked. I also am not licensed to own a real gun, and it is illegal to fire them within town. I could likely get away with a pellet gun. But I think traps are the way to go.

 

[cosmosue]

Ok you must live in a state with stricter laws I’m in the south so we don’t need a license we just go buy what we want, if something is attacking we shoot it.

If someone calls the cops we just say yeah this X animal was attacking and they just say ok carry on.

Not sure why not everyone can defend their property that makes no sense to me.

If you trap it in our state you have to shoot it - but that can be done with a quiet pellet gun or you have to kill it some other way but not sure how you would go about that.

Unless you ARE allowed to release in your state - which in that case you could try driving someplace WAY far away to like a national forest and leaving it there.

I can’t beleive it’s legal to feed them seriously this is ridiculous lol I don’t think it’s legal in the south.

Raccoons can carry rabies, and they are nasty buggers, opossums very very rarely carry rabies as they are mostly immune, still you don’t want to get bitten but they usually run.

The other issue we literally JUST ran into was 3 foot long non venomous black racer or black rat snakes - they can’t eat a whole quail but they will certainly try!!! Talk about my shock trying to find out how my largest rooster looked like it died to a snot over load! I thought “omg avian flu we are ALL GONNA DIEEEEE” of course it was just a snake... I found him on my camera and I felt terrible I was home at the time.

Snake away works, and it’s safe but snakes hate it my husband works in pest control LOL! He has not been back (the snake not my husband) I think if that snake got into the hens coop... well there wouldn’t be much left of him I can tell you that haha my hens are vicious I’ve seen them go after squirrels- my goldfish in my outdoor fountain die from time to time my hens eat them whole......

Ok anyway good luck. I hate raccoons. Maybe find out about a pellet gun, we live backed up to a forest and we have a ton of trees no one can see back here really so only my stoner neighbor has seen us shoot a raccoon and he just laughs and laughs he’s a real trip. But the pellet gun is so quiet no one will hear, it may take 3-4 shots. I take the trap into the garage and line it with paper and I do it there because just in case I dunno I’m weird. My husband just does it in the back.

But I tell you what, I haven’t seen a pest in a while. Last night I saw a fat opossum but he didn’t bother anyone, I waited and watched the camera til he wandered off I think my feral cat scared him.

 

[RosieR]

Ok you must live in a state with stricter laws I’m in the south so we don’t need a license we just go buy what we want, if something is attacking we shoot it.

If someone calls the cops we just say yeah this X animal was attacking and they just say ok carry on.

Not sure why not everyone can defend their property that makes no sense to me.

If you trap it in our state you have to shoot it - but that can be done with a quiet pellet gun or you have to kill it some other way but not sure how you would go about that.

Unless you ARE allowed to release in your state - which in that case you could try driving someplace WAY far away to like a national forest and leaving it there.

I can’t beleive it’s legal to feed them seriously this is ridiculous lol I don’t think it’s legal in the south.

Raccoons can carry rabies, and they are nasty buggers, opossums very very rarely carry rabies as they are mostly immune, still you don’t want to get bitten but they usually run.

The other issue we literally JUST ran into was 3 foot long non venomous black racer or black rat snakes - they can’t eat a whole quail but they will certainly try!!! Talk about my shock trying to find out how my largest rooster looked like it died to a snot over load! I thought “omg avian flu we are ALL GONNA DIEEEEE” of course it was just a snake... I found him on my camera and I felt terrible I was home at the time.

Snake away works, and it’s safe but snakes hate it my husband works in pest control LOL! He has not been back (the snake not my husband) I think if that snake got into the hens coop... well there wouldn’t be much left of him I can tell you that haha my hens are vicious I’ve seen them go after squirrels- my goldfish in my outdoor fountain die from time to time my hens eat them whole......

Ok anyway good luck. I hate raccoons. Maybe find out about a pellet gun, we live backed up to a forest and we have a ton of trees no one can see back here really so only my stoner neighbor has seen us shoot a raccoon and he just laughs and laughs he’s a real trip. But the pellet gun is so quiet no one will hear, it may take 3-4 shots. I take the trap into the garage and line it with paper and I do it there because just in case I dunno I’m weird. My husband just does it in the back.

But I tell you what, I haven’t seen a pest in a while. Last night I saw a fat opossum but he didn’t bother anyone, I waited and watched the camera til he wandered off I think my feral cat scared him.

Yeah I’m in Canada so not as lax with the guns. If I was on a farm or something, and I was licensed, using a gun to defend animals from pests would be ok, but because I’m in an urban community it would be frowned upon for sure. I’ll call about what to do with them once trapped.
I’ve only seen very tiny snakes in my yard. If they were brave they could try to get to an egg maybe but I imagine the birds would harass a snake that small? I hope none try to eat my birds! Finding a snot covered bird sounds DISGUSTING! Lol

 

[cosmosue]

Yeah I’m in Canada so not as lax with the guns. If I was on a farm or something, and I was licensed, using a gun to defend animals from pests would be ok, but because I’m in an urban community it would be frowned upon for sure. I’ll call about what to do with them once trapped.
I’ve only seen very tiny snakes in my yard. If they were brave they could try to get to an egg maybe but I imagine the birds would harass a snake that small? I hope none try to eat my birds! Finding a snot covered bird sounds DISGUSTING! Lol

That explains it!!! I kept wondering where is she from that she can’t have a gun??? LOL Yes I am familiar with the laws of Canada - not all of them but many.

Ok so that’s a big huge no!!! Lol!!! Sorry about that I didn’t know you were not in the US, but yeah you have to find out about releasing or whatever you do because it’s totally different for you.

And yes I would think my birds would eat a small snake but this one was like 3 feet long on camera LOL

I didn’t see it til I reviewed to find out what happened but yes my biggest roo was covered in snot I thought he got a sudden bad cold and drowned! I was so sad but the snake tried to eat him and couldn’t fit him. It was so weird when I found him!!!

My friend in Canada had her house broken into by a raccoon omg what a mess she was sooooo mad. And no one was feeding those!!

 

[RosieR]

That explains it!!! I kept wondering where is she from that she can’t have a gun??? LOL Yes I am familiar with the laws of Canada - not all of them but many.

Ok so that’s a big huge no!!! Lol!!! Sorry about that I didn’t know you were not in the US, but yeah you have to find out about releasing or whatever you do because it’s totally different for you.

And yes I would think my birds would eat a small snake but this one was like 3 feet long on camera LOL

I didn’t see it til I reviewed to find out what happened but yes my biggest roo was covered in snot I thought he got a sudden bad cold and drowned! I was so sad but the snake tried to eat him and couldn’t fit him. It was so weird when I found him!!!

My friend in Canada had her house broken into by a raccoon omg what a mess she was sooooo mad. And no one was feeding those!!

Lol yeah our guns go on the range and hunting trips exclusively haha
I’ve seen the big snakes closer to the water but none up where my house is, they can stay down there!

 

[cosmosue]

Agreed I hope you don’t get those they are annoying but there is safe product to keep them away if they do decide to check you out!! Lol! Now I hope those raccoons GO AWAY!!!!