Less than 12 hours and they're at them already!

[Unobtanium]

I went out on my porch this morning at 0300 to look at my chickens sleeping in their new coop, and I saw two raccoons! Eyeing them. I ran inside and grabbed my suppressed .22 pistol and fired 2 rounds. One at the eyes of the coon in the bushes, and one at his buddy as he stood there. I heard a good THWACK from the second round, but the coon dashed into the brush. I will go and look for it in the morning, but maybe a suppressed .22, as pleasant as it is to my birds, doesn't have the horsepower to do the deed when fired by a sleepy person at 30 yards and attaining less than a CNS hit. The suppressed M4 is next. I want to kill those things before they get a taste of my chickens!

I am very proud of my coop, however. I saw no signs of damage, and I bet the coons were at it for a while. I doubt they showed up right when I did. Any further advice on how to proof it? I have motion activated solar powered 200 lumen spotlights on the way already, and I am hoping that rooster pictured grows into a vicious beast as far as raccoons are concerned?

 

[llombardo]

Do you have hardware cloth around the bottom like an apron?

 

[Unobtanium]

Do you have hardware cloth around the bottom like an apron?

No, but I have a good bit of 1' long rebar. I am going to drive it in around the base of the cage in narrower-than-coon-head intervals in the morning.

 

[Unobtanium]

IT JUST CAME BACK! Seriously. Shot at it with the M4. Even suppressed, I fear this is too loud for my neighbor's taste. I'll hunt for it in the bushes in the daylight. Back to the suppressed .22. I hear the coons in the woods all around chittering. They are cute and fuzzy and all, but I paid money for that coop/chickens. These things are determined. Rebar going in tomorrow.

 

[RWise]

Maybe add an electric wire or two near the bottom of the fence. Also there is a trap they reach into that is said to work well (then you can get closer to them) They will also eat rat bars, and it will kill them!
My dogs just took out a fully grown coon, I was lucky and they did not take any damage, Good Dogs! My tag team,,,

 

[Unobtanium]

Maybe add an electric wire or two near the bottom of the fence. Also there is a trap they reach into that is said to work well (then you can get closer to them) They will also eat rat bars, and it will kill them!
My dogs just took out a fully grown coon, I was lucky and they did not take any damage, Good Dogs! My tag team,,,

I'm tempted to get an outdoor dog just for this purpose, but I don't want him to run off the deer.
I just got back inside. Pounded the rebar into the woodline edge of the ground beside the cage. It was about 16", not 1'. I doubt any coons will easily dig past it, and that is the side they were all eyeballing. It will buy me some time.

 

[RWise]

Coons are smart, they will find a way past if there is any chance. I did try live traps, which are fine for small coons, but an adult will tear the door right out of them.
Also the door, only the one latch near the center? Pull at the bottom of it, if it will pull out fix that too!

 

[centrarchid]

Among other things, I use dog proof traps and live traps. Latter coons can become wise too and also have relatively short work life relative to price when using the lower cost models.

Coop as shown would be very easy to defend using a modest amount of electrified wire connected directly to it and a light duty fence charger. You could even make so entire setup can be used as a unit with only grounding rod requiring special effort.

 

[centrarchid]

Firearm approach can kill but generally is a waste of time. Other approaches work when you are either asleep or not present.

 

[Unobtanium]

Firearm approach can kill but generally is a waste of time. Other approaches work when you are either asleep or not present.

I will likely go hot wire. I was just incensed that they were already at it. I know squirrels, when I shoot one, they don't return for a while to that area. Seems coons aren't so.

Among other things, I use dog proof traps and live traps. Latter coons can become wise too and also have relatively short work life relative to price when using the lower cost models.

Coop as shown would be very easy to defend using a modest amount of electrified wire connected directly to it and a light duty fence charger. You could even make so entire setup can be used as a unit with only grounding rod requiring special effort.

So electrify the walls of the coop? Traps are worthless, IMO, as I have thousands of coons likely. I was hoping shooting one would traumatize them, more a psychological thing.

Coons are smart, they will find a way past if there is any chance. I did try live traps, which are fine for small coons, but an adult will tear the door right out of them.
Also the door, only the one latch near the center? Pull at the bottom of it, if it will pull out fix that too!

I checked the door, etc. It's pretty darn solid.