My nightime visit...

[Chick15]

I am so scared right now, I was just down at the coop (letting chicks out & feeding them loads of weeds) and I was about to leave when I noticed a hole in my little garden, it was deep and wide. So I was looking around to see if there was any sign of what had done it and I saw a hole at the fence of the coop, itt looks like something was digging a hole but never finished it, I think it is a racoon as I found prints that look like small hands, but with claws.... I will post pics but my camera is out of battery, I am charging it now... I am so scared thoough, this is my second close encounter with a predator (first with a hawk) but I feel really lucky because I have not yet lost any of my 16 5 week old chickens........ I am getting very nervous though. Any tips to stop this before it starts? Does this sound like a raccoon to you??? Please Help, I am getting scared of going down to see them tomorrow morning for fear of what I may find....

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

All the coons I've had visit me never bothered to dig under the fence, up and over they go. My run is not enclosed on top, maybe yours is? If you have/ can borrow a have-a-heart trap you should use it. You predator will probably come back again and again to test your coop. And they usually find a way inside given enough time. I caught 3 racoons a couple of weeks ago, and unfortunately they had to be disposed of as just about everyone around me keeps some kind of poultry. Good luck!

 

[JoePa]

Yes - sure sounds like a coon - hopefully you have a wire skirt buired around the perimeter of you run - otherwise it will eventually dig under the bottom and get into your run - if you don't you better set a trap by the hole and hopefully get it before it gets in - then the first chance you get lay some wire around the run - also make sure you coop is secure and the coon can't get in - they are pretty smart and can use their hands almost like a person - if you don't have any traps at least put some heavy stones over the hole - but remember it might start digging somewhere else and get into the run - so temporarily lay boards or something around the run - now it's possible that a skunk is trying to get in also - now that is a different story - depends where you live and how resourceful you are - you may want to forget the trap

 

[JoePa]

Quote:
Just read your post - if you don't have the top of your run enclosed you are asking for trouble - take my word for it

 

[Chick15]

The top of our run is enclosed... I took the pics and now I have to sort throough them and load them up...

 

[Imp]

Fortify, fortify, fortify, you will never run out of predators.

Good luck

Imp

 

[Chick15]

Scratch marks near the fence ^

Footprint?^

Claw Marks ^

Hole it dug in my Garden ^

Half dug hole under the wire ^

The gap that the hole made ^

How I clogged up the hole (for now) ^

 

[Chick15]

(I wrote the captions under the pictures)

I was looking at the footprint pic and thought it may be hard to see so I used my computer to outline it :

(hope that helps a bit..)

 

[Capvin]

That does NOT look like a racoon print. Racoons have five pretty distinct digits and are closer together. Whatever it is it will not have a very difficult time getting through the chicken wire.

 

[ellieroo]

SKUNK SKUNK