My Pullet Shut Door Failed, Racoon ate my Flock!

[extravirgin]

So I've had the pullet shut door for nearly a year, and been pretty happy with it. The control board failed once, but they promptly replaced it.
Last night though, a raccoon managed to crack the door open enough to get it, and he killed 6 of my girls, leaving me with just 2 :-(

Apparently the door has some play in the gear/motor, just enough so that if you hit it, the door will bounce open, or conversely, if my hens push it from the inside, they can get it open about 2".

This is a very smart racoon, and figured that out.

I tried to trap him with a havahart, I put a piece of rotten swordfish at the end of the trap, and set it. An hour after killing my birds he was back!

I debated shooting him with the .22, but I decided not to alarm the neighbors, and let the trap work. An hour or so of watching him go round and round and try to pick at the fish through the wire, I decided to go to bed.

In the morning, to my shock and dismay, the door was closed, no fish, and no racoon.

I'm setting the trap again tonight, this time I hope it works.

So everyone, be careful of the pullet shut, it isn't fool proof, I lost the hens I had raised for 2 years like a member of our family.

 

[lightchick]

That's too bad!

 

[BritneyBradshaw]

So sorry to hear this.. it makes me very sad

 

[FarmerJayne]

Wow, that is so sad! I hope you get that coon tonight.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Oh, that's heartbreaking! So sorry for your loss.

BTW, I've read that raccoon's can't resist marshmallows. Might try using some for bait if the fish doesn't work out.

 

[jetdog]

So I've had the pullet shut door for nearly a year, and been pretty happy with it. The control board failed once, but they promptly replaced it.
Last night though, a raccoon managed to crack the door open enough to get it, and he killed 6 of my girls, leaving me with just 2 :-(

Apparently the door has some play in the gear/motor, just enough so that if you hit it, the door will bounce open, or conversely, if my hens push it from the inside, they can get it open about 2".

This is a very smart racoon, and figured that out. 

I tried to trap him with a havahart, I put a piece of rotten swordfish at the end of the trap, and set it. An hour after killing my birds he was back!

I debated shooting him with the .22, but I decided not to alarm the neighbors, and let the trap work. An hour or so of watching him go round and round and try to pick at the fish through the wire, I decided to go to bed.

In the morning, to my shock and dismay, the door was closed, no fish, and no racoon.

I'm setting the trap again tonight, this time I hope it works.

So everyone, be careful of the pullet shut, it isn't fool proof, I lost the hens I had raised for 2 years like a member of our family.

If your interested in changing out the door I have a guillotine style door with the D20 add a motor, I did a search on YouTube for"locking chicken door" very easy to make and it works great, I can't get it to open so I figure a raccoon can't either, just an option, it has 2 L shaped arms that lock when the door is closed.

 

[thomasboyle]

Go with the marshmallows. I stuff 5-6 large ones in an empty tuna can that is zip tied to the bottom of the trap. I've caught many raccoons with this setup. Good luck.