injured chicken and dead racoon.

[Bisqit&Gravy]

I found one of my hens injured a few hours ago when I got home. Some other hens are missing tail feathers. Since my Gravy(roo) got killed about 2 months ago, we started locking up the banties at night. The hurt hen looks as if her leg was yanked thru fence. She can't walk on it and had puncture wounds.

I let them out at 6 this morning and everyone was fine. When I came home there's a road killed racoon on my road. I always thought coons and etc attacked at night? It is possible that since it wasn't very bright when I left, leave on a dead end surrounded by woods and corn fields that this coon is responsible for my hens???

 

[stumble_n_mumble]

i would have to say yes. normally raccoons will come out during the day only if they have rabies. otherwise they are nocturnal. i am sure of this because i am a zoo keeper and we happen to have raccoons. Im also almost 100 percent positive it was a raccoon who tried to eat your chickens because thats how they are. they reach on and will eat the chicken straight threw the fence. terrible i know. hope this helped!!!

 

[rooster-red]

Raccoons are generally nocturnal, but they will hunt in daytime hours, particularly if they have young to feed.

Not all coons seen roaming in the daytime have rabies, thats a popular myth. And if they do have rabies they will not be interested in eating anything, they lose all cognative skills.

It does sound like a coon got to your chickens.

Probably a 50/50 chance that the dead one in the road was the culprit.

They are social animals, if there was one there are more close by.

Time to fortify your fences, run & coop.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

It might be ideal to attack at night, but if an animal is desperate enough...

Yesterday morning the snow was clear, and when I went out later to let the girls out, I noticed racoon tracks that had come out of the field, walked across the driveway, and straight up to the front door of the coop, there were some footprints on the door front, and a bit of snow, and then the tracks walked off back towards the field, stopped and sat down, and then disappeared.

The dog wasn't out between those times, we haven't had any issues when he is out, he actively guards the chickens from his chain, scares the crap out of smaller harmless animals.

 

[gkeesling]

I just started with my chickens but I have had trouble with raccons getting into the feed I use for my steers. I didn't want to sit out by the barn all night with my rifle so I got a live animal trap. I put some of the feed in it, locked the cat in the garage for the night, and the next morning had a raccoon in my trap. I've also caught opossums, stray cats, and one skunk. You might try this around your chicken coop. You can use cat food for bait and it will probably work ok. Problem is that raccoons are social animals so there will be more. If you don't want to kill the critter then you will have to transport it 10 miles or so away as it will come back if you don't take it far enough away.

 

[Bisqit&Gravy]

That's what I thought!! The sun is coming up around 6 here but I have lots of trees so it stays darker around my property and there are no street lights. The hubby said he's seen some coons and opposum coming out of our crater early in the morning...what we call the "crater" is a huge pond that holds no water..haha....what a waste it is too!!!
Something had been digging under and cleaning up left over feed at night but that hasn't happen in about 3 weeks after some work. The top is completely covered with wire. I'm sure after I left this morning they all perched up in the bushes along the fence in their yard like they do every morning. Perfect spot to be yanked thru.
Anyway, I am very familar with live traps!! We caught 40+ feral cats within a month when we lived in town. It's officially time to go buy one since Animal Control doesn't loan them out to the county people.

My hen looked horrible when I found her and my 1st reaction was to take her to work and euthanize her. Nothing feels or sounds broken, just puncture wounds. In 15 yrs I've never seen a client bring a chicken in but I'm guessing the way she was acting by rolling upside down with her head twisted back and open mouth breathing was pain related. I had some butorphanol left over from a parrot and gave her some. I figured it'd either help or do her in the rest of the way. I'm not getting my hopes up but she didn't look better at 8. No open mouth and she was sitting upright. She's in my garage with a nice ceramic heat bulb and will see what she looks like in the morning.

 

[Mahonri]

I've seen coons still feeding/hunting in the early AM hours.

Coon did it.

I hope that the dead one in the road is the one that got your flock.

 

[can you hear me now?]

i have a baby pen for warmer weather outside, When i put it out there i thought I took enough precautions but lost about 23 or so 2 and 3 month old chicks to a raccoon. new rule of thumb for me, If it looks iffy, it probably is and needs to be dealt with before a racoon tests it.

 

[nnbreeder]

You know the common Okie saying is that if you kill one a hundred will come to the funeral so stay vigilant!

 

[Bisqit&Gravy]

Well, I euthanized my hen at work this afternoon:-( When I came home for lunch she looked very painful and I have never heard sounds like that coming from a chicken. She was in pain!!
When she saw me she tried to stand up and her leg went about 90 degrees under her. Nothing was broke. It was nerve damage. Her other leg was knucking under too and the hurt wing was drooping. It sucked but had to be done. Even if she recovered from this the others would have beat her up.
We're gonna bury her tomorrow since I just got home and it's dark.

I also ran over a racoon just a litte while ago that was crossing the road towards my house. They must be really desperate to be coming out this soon in the night!!! I have never intentionally hit something but I'll be darn if it was coming here to hurt or kill another. This morning when I went to let everyone out there was fresh dug dirt next to my 3 standards. It didn't get in but tried. Mo my big NN roo was really worked out and came after me....he's never done that.
So I'm off in the morning to pick up some live traps!!