Momma chicken lost her encounter with a raccoon

[JacinLarkwell]

DO NOT RELOCATE COONS. If you catch it, kill it. Relocating it will likely just force it onto someone else who will lose animals to it. If you aren't willing to kill it, don't catch it

 

[NatJ]

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?

Correct

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. Thanks for your advice.

Crate with food and water--yes

Warming mat--might be enough, you can go out the first night and see.
(I would have thought the mother was enough with no warming mat while she was alive, but since she is dead they will probably appreciate the heat.)

Introduce to other broodies--at 3 weeks old, it probably would not work anyway.

Attaching a run to their crate could be good, or supervised time out of the crate.

Or you could try something like this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop-brooder-and-integration.74591/

That person is using a crate for a brooder in the coop, but cuts little doors so the chicks can venture out just as soon as they think it's safe. That way they have a place to run away from big chickens if they need to, but they get integrated into the flock as young as possible.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Anyone had any luck with trapping a raccoon?

I had a nuisance raccoon climbing onto my coops several times weekly.
I live trapped and sent to raccoon heaven.

They love fish and seafood. I used these as bait. They have fish, seafood and fish broth as first and second ingredients. Pop lid on cans but don't remove.
Punch holes in sandwich bag and hang dry feed with bread tie.

Mice will eat dry feed if sprinkled on floor of cage.
Lastly secure trap. If coon tips over trap it will escape. . GC

 

[njschule]

They are his! LOL @JacinLarkwell But Momma was a Partridge Rock. I have found them to be very independent. She hid on me. I couldn’t find her or her nest until she reappeared with babies. In September. In Montana. So less than thrilled about that timing. The chicks are clearly missing their momma but I will do my best to give them treats, worms, foraging time and see that they are loved within the flock. Thanks for your response.

 

[njschule]

Correct



Crate with food and water--yes

Warming mat--might be enough, you can go out the first night and see.
(I would have thought the mother was enough with no warming mat while she was alive, but since she is dead they will probably appreciate the heat.)

Introduce to other broodies--at 3 weeks old, it probably would not work anyway.

Attaching a run to their crate could be good, or supervised time out of the crate.

Or you could try something like this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop-brooder-and-integration.74591/

That person is using a crate for a brooder in the coop, but cuts little doors so the chicks can venture out just as soon as they think it's safe. That way they have a place to run away from big chickens if they need to, but they get integrated into the flock as young as possible.

Thanks, @NatJ that is very helpful.

 

[One Lucky Momma]

We have used a live (temporarily) trap successfully for possums, groundhogs and raccoons in bee yards.

I don’t mind baiting them but DH does the honors of dispatching. In every case we do what’s necessary to prevent any possible return of the trapped animal because they ALWAYS come back with family and friends. I hate the killing, but it’s part of keeping other animals.

 

[centrarchid]

They are his! LOL @JacinLarkwell But Momma was a Partridge Rock. I have found them to be very independent. She hid on me. I couldn’t find her or her nest until she reappeared with babies. In September. In Montana. So less than thrilled about that timing. The chicks are clearly missing their momma but I will do my best to give them treats, worms, foraging time and see that they are loved within the flock. Thanks for your response.

What I do is make so chicks have a crate stuffed with straw pressed into a nest bowl. While chicks sleeping in bowl I cover milkcrate with a towel and put it in an elevated location predators cannot get to. My default approach is a rabbit cage. Then I work on imprinting the chicks on that cage. A group of five at three weeks will be able to keep themselves warm to well below freezing when so setup. The rabbit cage can be kept near roosting adults to aid integration later.

I would buy a couple dog proof traps and a live trap for use as needed over the years to come. Hotwire might be worth considering as well to keep raccoons and other baddies out.

 

[neo71665]

Coons also love sweets, marsh mellow seems to work best for me, but as explained do not relocate pest coons. If you can't dispatch it yourself then maybe call your local extension office and maybe they know of a local trapper that will catch it for you. Relocating coons in many areas is also illegal.