Oh boy. Big trouble..............

[Solsken Farm]

We have lived at our farm for 12 years. We have fed stray cats in our barn for all of those. We have never had anything other than cats eat the food as the rate of it being eaten has been very slow and predictable. I have seen one skunk in our yard a few years ago, that died in our garage a few hours later. Other than that, everything keeps its distance. The coyotes, fisher, fox, racoon, deer, turkey.....you name it, it is here, but not close to the barn.

Something started eating our cat food while we were on vacation last week. The pet sitter had to replace an entire bag in one week for 5 cats, 3 of which usually eat in the house.

Just now I figured out what it is. We have 4 bouncing baby racoons. I do not know if Mama is there with them. When I came in the barn they just sat there staring at me.

It is the darndest thing that we finally get chickens and mama coon plants her babies right in our barn for the first time.

Now I am worrying as our coop is not as tight as it should be.....

Going to get a have a heart trap tomorrow.

They LOVE meow mix, btw.

 

[kinnip]

It's so unfair when danger is cute.

 

[jenjscott]

It's probably because of the chickens that mama brought the babies there.

 

[Solsken Farm]

They were truly adorable. I mean seriously precious. I just wanted to hug them and cuddle. But of course I know they are potentially rabies carrying, parasite infested, chicken killers.

It isn't fair. I wish they were like koalas and just ate juniper bushes or something.....I'd plant them a garden.

 

[Solsken Farm]

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I know! That is what I am thinking. Like can she smell them or something? It is just really odd. One month outside for my chicks....and a whole flipping family of predators moves in.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Just please be careful. Mother raccoons can actually be very aggressive when it comes to their young. I watched a show in where a couple of people were removing a family of coons from an attic, and the mother raccoon came charging at them, chased them across the roof and then chased them across the yard. One of the scariest things I've seen. She was all teeth and hissing too.

You may not think you are threatening, but you never know how it looks from momma-coon's perspective. She may think your about to hurt her younguns and jump down on you from the rafters or something. Wouldn't that be scary!

I say get those coons out ASAP and be careful about it. Since it's a family, if you do not want to kill them, call Animal Control or a wildlife rehabilitator. It's commonly illegal for people to relocate wildlife, but if you hand the family over to a licensed wildlife rehabber, she/he should be able to relocate them legally for you.

-Kim

 

[dixygirl]

I agree. DH used to feed a "cute, litte" racoon right beside the peafowl house. I always knew he was a little brain dead but that was extreme. Thank God nothing happened. Like they say, God protects children and fools.

 

[cjeanean]

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[kees]

They're cute now but when you lose a chicken because mommy has to feed her babies...you might change your mind.

 

[scrapmom5]

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We had those really cute baby raccoons last year in our yard...we did nothing about them (we did not have chickens yet) until they bit my 3 pound yorkie. They punctured her nose causing an infection. The worst part was when my dog was crossing the street and was hit by a car and left for dead. I was really angry at the unknown driver that killed my pet but I was also angry at the raccoons for hurting her. We trapped those critters and told my dh to shoot them. He said they were too cute and transplanted them an hour from our home up in the mountains. I have pics of them and they are indeed cute...if they would leave things alone.