Momma chicken lost her encounter with a raccoon

[njschule]

Hi all, sad night, I lost a momma chicken and a broody duck last night to a raccoon. Momma chicken’s 5 chicks all survived. She was such a great momma, too. Chicks are around 3 weeks old. She has had them outside during the day scratching around for bugs and then, she would take them into a separate crate on the floor of the coop that I had for her with a warming mat in it, at night. Should I take over and keep them in that crate day and night, that will double as a brooder until their adult feathers come in? It is starting to cool off here in Montana, especially at night. I don’t have any other broody hens that I feel like I can introduce them to. Or will the flock take over taking care of them? My gut says no, they won’t take over and I need to raise them up. Correct? Thanks for your advice.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

I would continue with the crate at night with the warming mat. I wouldn’t let them outside unattended, but you should give them supervised foraging time since they were already learning that behavior.
I’m sorry you lost your hen and duck.

 

[njschule]

Thank you, @LaFemmeKatia, for your kind words and good idea to do supervised foraging. I will build an enclosure for them that I can connect to the coop and their crate.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I am so sorry!
The flock won't take care of the chicks. Keep using the crate day and night and the warming mat.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Unfortunately they're just too young. Is the rooster with the flock? Is he kind to them? Does he treat them like friends and flock members? The rooster imo is the most important part of introducing chicks.

They still have lots of down though to, correct? I think mine are the same age

 

[njschule]

@JacinLarkwell Yes, they have their baby down still. Their wing feathers have started to come in but I think they are just too small to survive on their own. And it is getting too cold. So sad and what a waste, too. I have lost some birds to coyotes and while I don’t like that either, at least they take the bird, end it quickly and actually eat them. This was a waste. Anyway, the rooster. Yes, his name is Junior and he is kind to his hens. How is he important? He hasn’t paid the chicks any attention so far. Thanks for your advice.

 

[njschule]

Anyone had any luck with trapping a raccoon?

 

[DobieLover]

Anyone had any luck with trapping a raccoon?

So sorry for your losses.
You'd be far better off predator proofing your coop and run. It is highly likely that the raccoon will be back.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

@JacinLarkwell Yes, they have their baby down still. Their wing feathers have started to come in but I think they are just too small to survive on their own. And it is getting too cold. So sad and what a waste, too. I have lost some birds to coyotes and while I don’t like that either, at least they take the bird, end it quickly and actually eat them. This was a waste. Anyway, the rooster. Yes, his name is Junior and he is kind to his hens. How is he important? He hasn’t paid the chicks any attention so far. Thanks for your advice.

Sone roosters will be accepting of chicks if thwy think they're his (i.e were hatched by a hen in his flock he's bred with). I have a male I'm sure would take on chicks if their mother was killed.

I would personally try to act as a surrogate mother. Allow them to interact with the flock and be out there with them as much as possible but take them into be warm when they start showing they're chilled.

 

[Uniqueusername]

Anyone had any luck with trapping a raccoon?

So sorry for your loss! I have lots of raccoons on my property. While I’ve done all I can think of to predator-proof my coop/run prior to moving my chicks from the brooder...I’m also doing some pre-trapping to try and remove some of the threats. I am using the Duke Dog-Proof racoon traps and have had good results thus far (4 coons in 1st week). Disclosure, I don’t have any issue with dispatching caught coons and am out in a rural area, so I can do so legally and safely. FYI, You cannot relocate coons caught in these traps. If you want to relocate, then a live trap is your best option, BUT live traps will not hold large coons overnight. I have multiple game cam videos of large coons breaking out of my have-a-heart traps overnight. wanted to make sure to use traps that wouldn’t harm local dogs or my barn cats, and have been pleased with the results so far.