OMG - Racoons!!!

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I used to think a pet raccoon would be amazing. Twelve years ago I would have seen this video and asked where he lived because I’d want to be his neighbor. Haha😆

But after visiting a wildlife rehab couple I’ve changed my mind. They had half a dozen raccoon cubs, kits? Not sure what the right name is.
They let us see them up close and the husband held one so the kids could see it. They also told us just how much of a handful they are to care for. And the importance of not handling them too much or letting them be too dependent on human help. After that I still enjoy seeing the babies that live in our tree, but interacting with them isn’t something I yearn to do anymore.
I do hope to one day get into wildlife rehabilitation. I’ve looked into it a few times. Perhaps when my kids graduate....
 
My2butterflies said:
I used to think a pet raccoon would be amazing. Twelve years ago I would have seen this video and asked where he lived because I’d want to be his neighbor. Haha😆

But after visiting a wildlife rehab couple I’ve changed my mind. They had half a dozen raccoon cubs, kits? Not sure what the right name is.
They let us see them up close and the husband held one so the kids could see it. They also told us just how much of a handful they are to care for. And the importance of not handling them too much or letting them be too dependent on human help. After that I still enjoy seeing the babies that live in our tree, but interacting with them isn’t something I yearn to do anymore.
I do hope to one day get into wildlife rehabilitation. I’ve looked into it a few times. Perhaps when my kids graduate....
Click to expand...

Rehabbing is awesome! Do it if you feel like you might like it!

I would not rehab racoons here, though, because they are horrible bird killers and if they get into your coop they kill **all** your birds. It happened to a friend of mine: all her babies dead that she cared for for years. What a horrible heart-brake. It was too quiet in the morning when she went towards the coop and when she opened they door they were all slaughtered in there. I understand if chicken people hate racoons, totally. I don't hate them but I have not had that happen to me and I respect them, i.e. when I see one I am on high alert and I will do my best to let it know in no uncertain terms that it is not welcome here. We have two big dogs that patrol most of the time and have chased a racoon up into a 40' Oak tree once where it was stuck for days.

I would rehab possum, turtles, even squirrels maybe, though I know they can be mean when they grow into teenagers, ha ha. I would rehab bats, birds, deer, bunnies, even though they have a poor chance of making it since they are so highly stressed when captured.

Re-habbing is aweseom because you can help an animal and let them go again and you don't need to feed it for the rest of your life and pay vet bills. Vet bills are usually covered for rehab animals if you are certified, at least in Virginia. You need to get trained and have space for wild animals to be kept safely and take precautions against bacteria, viruses, and parasites, but I think it is worth it.

I will do it when I retire, I think.

I know several rehabbers and they rock!
 
Last edited:
BennieAnTheJets said:
Do they kill birds? I thought (and was hoping) they only steal eggs. Of course that is bad, too, if there is a keet inside, but our eggs are often infertile. I really like possum but I don't like bird killers - ugh! :barnie
Click to expand...
Everything loves a chicken dinner.... I doubt they are dangerous to most free ranging birds during the day, but I have a friend who accidentally locked an opossum into the coop at night and her treasured pair of silkies were just bones in the morning, with the possum still present. Poor woman was so traumatized and mad at her husband over the whole thing. This post had a rarer daytime attack:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/21798218
 
Mixed flock enthusiast said:
Everything loves a chicken dinner.... I doubt they are dangerous to most free ranging birds during the day, but I have a friend who accidentally locked an opossum into the coop at night and her treasured pair of silkies were just bones in the morning, with the possum still present. Poor woman was so traumatized and mad at her husband over the whole thing. This post had a rarer daytime attack:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/21798218
Click to expand...
Ugh- I dislike those nasty snarling little things! We once had one hidden back in the tirewell of a jeep. He had big tires on it so when I walked up, oblivious, he came out hissing, at the level of my hip bones and only about a foot away from same. I was so stunned I just backed away and went inside w /o saying a word.
..ofcourse, we also had a raccoon residing in that same jeep. 😳
 
Mixed flock enthusiast said:
Everything loves a chicken dinner.... I doubt they are dangerous to most free ranging birds during the day, but I have a friend who accidentally locked an opossum into the coop at night and her treasured pair of silkies were just bones in the morning, with the possum still present. Poor woman was so traumatized and mad at her husband over the whole thing. This post had a rarer daytime attack:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/21798218
Click to expand...

yeah, ok, so I am nto completely nuts for having spent a few days/months (?) of my life by checking the entire coop and run every night before locking up!

Remember now: "Just because your are paranoid, that does not mean that they are not after you!"
 

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