New predator... It's on Jack!

[cometpro57]

Sorry about your loss, I know how it feels. Last year I attended a summer camp and left my sweet, chubby hens in the care of my older brother. When I returned after a week of being away, I learned that I had lost one to a raccoon. In the past three years that I have owned chickens, I have caught over 10 raccoons, preventing further loss. If you would like my advice about making your coop coon proof: if the chicken wire was attached or stapled to the window and the top of the run on the outside then you might want to reinforce the openings by stapling the chicken wire on the inside, with about an inch and a half overlap.
I constructed my own coop, and it was only because my brother left the coop door open at night that I lost a hen. I attached the chicken wire in the windows of my coop from the inside of the coop with fairly heavy duty staples, making it too difficult for the raccons to just pull it off the coop.
I hope this was helpful to you.

 

[Mattemma]

I just got my first coon this season. If you can find their travel path that is key to trapping them.Good luck!

 

[shmccarthy]

I'm sorry for the loss of your chickens
I hate raccoons. They are dirty and disease carrying and they will kill chickens with no problem. The big problem with them is they kill many chickens, usually just to kill them and possibly eat one. I kill every single raccoon I see, no exceptions. I haven't had a single one get in my coop, though many have tried to. Trapping and relocating wont make them go away, they will come back. Your best bet when it comes to raccoons is to trap them and kill it or shoot them, unfortunately. After having one wipe out my entire flock 2 years ago and almost kill my cat a year later, I just don't take any chances.

 

[ocap]

I talked with a guy last year that saw a cougar at High Point State Park, New Jersey. The guy was night hiking the Appalachian Trail and saw the eyes reflecting his head lamp. He walked toward the eyes and got within 20 feet of a cat that was 3 1/2 feet long. A mountain lion has also been hit by a car near downtown Kansas City, later killed in someones backyard. We can't protect our flocks from everything, but we can try.

 

[kynewbchickie]

The raccoon got past the fencing, so you may as well assume that there is a problem with the electric fence until you can prove otherwise through testing...have you touched it to see how well it works?

In high school, a buddy and I tested a cattle prod on each other.

Quote:
Testing a cattle prod and touching an electric fence are contradictory. I'll take my chances with a man that has done this for nearly as long as I've been alive, thanks.