Please, don't shoot raccoons....

[NateinFL]

I'm a shooter, I dont feel that coons should be coming around houses the way they do, if they're brave enough to go through my trash and walk up in my yard, then they need to be shot. Look at what has happened with coyotes. Since man stopped shooting them, their population has exploded and they're just everywhere. I dont think the world belongs to us, but I do think limits need to be set on how comfy these critters can get with your property and posession. Raccoons need to be out chasing wild prey and eating wild foods, if they are somehow inclined to start eating livestock, its time they be shot. Sorry I just dont have a soft heart for predators. ESPECIALLY raccoons.

 

[Kayakguy]

Actually one of the main reasons coyotes have spread beyond their natural range is that man shot all of the wolves. The removal of this apex predator allowed coyotes to move in and fill the void. Shooting coyotes generally has little to no affect on their general populations, though it may help in the imediate vacinity.

Now I am not saying not to shoot predators or to shoot them either way. Just putting a few fact about coyote range expansion out there.

 

[BigBatHorn]

when I built mine I dug a footing. I dug 2 feet down below the dirt grade and 1 foot wide . When I installed my fencing I went the 2 feet down then I bent the fencing at a 90 degree angle so it laid flat angaist the bottom of the footing . Then i filled in the footing . I also enclosed the top with the fencing also . All the years ive raised chickens I have never lost one to predators . I live in northen michigan and live among the coon , skunks , possiums , foxes and coyotes.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

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I never said I hadn't lost a bird. I have been keeping poultry for over 25 years. In that time I have had many different pens and each time I had a problem I learned from it an improved my pen. What you said about my humility already happened when I first started keeping chickens and I learned from every incident. So, you could say I already learned my lessons about proper pens and applied them. There is no predator in this area that is getting into my pen. Period. I have buried wire 12' down and 12" angled out, and concrete curbs. I have screen and wire. At night they are in a converted tough shed that is sealed. The roofs of the run are bolted down corrugated metal. Every crevice has been sealed with steel wool, wire and caulk or insulation foam. I don't even have fly problems let alone rodent or otherwise. I won't say my pen is predator proof by any means, but its pretty safe, and that is proof enough for me that you can minimize your losses to predators without extermination.

Iowa Roo Mom, I know you were not entirely serious. But, what you said happens to line up a bit with how I run things at my place so I commented. I explained a bit more above.

 

[ranchhand]

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I never said I hadn't lost a bird. I have been keeping poultry for over 25 years. In that time I have had many different pens and each time I had a problem I learned from it an improved my pen. What you said about my humility already happened when I first started keeping chickens and I learned from every incident. So, you could say I already learned my lessons about proper pens and applied them. There is no predator in this area that is getting into my pen. Period. I have buried wire 12' down and 12" angled out, and concrete curbs. I have screen and wire. At night they are in a converted tough shed that is sealed. The roofs of the run are bolted down corrugated metal. Every crevice has been sealed with steel wool, wire and caulk or insulation foam. I don't even have fly problems let alone rodent or otherwise. I won't say my pen is predator proof by any means, but its pretty safe, and that is proof enough for me that you can minimize your losses to predators without extermination.

Iowa Roo Mom, I know you were not entirely serious. But, what you said happens to line up a bit with how I run things at my place so I commented. I explained a bit more above.

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I admire you for your skills at building, but I am objecting to your self-righteous attitude and contradictions. You said no predator in your area that is getting into your pen and in the same paragraph say that you won't say your pen is predator proof by any means.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

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I never said I hadn't lost a bird. I have been keeping poultry for over 25 years. In that time I have had many different pens and each time I had a problem I learned from it an improved my pen. What you said about my humility already happened when I first started keeping chickens and I learned from every incident. So, you could say I already learned my lessons about proper pens and applied them. There is no predator in this area that is getting into my pen. Period. I have buried wire 12' down and 12" angled out, and concrete curbs. I have screen and wire. At night they are in a converted tough shed that is sealed. The roofs of the run are bolted down corrugated metal. Every crevice has been sealed with steel wool, wire and caulk or insulation foam. I don't even have fly problems let alone rodent or otherwise. I won't say my pen is predator proof by any means, but its pretty safe, and that is proof enough for me that you can minimize your losses to predators without extermination.

Iowa Roo Mom, I know you were not entirely serious. But, what you said happens to line up a bit with how I run things at my place so I commented. I explained a bit more above.

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I admire you for your skills at building, but I am objecting to your self-righteous attitude and contradictions. You said no predator in your area that is getting into your pen and in the same paragraph say that you won't say your pen is predator proof by any means.

I can see how you could be confused. I said I never loose any because, in the pen i have now, I have never lost any birds. However, I have kept chickens a long time, and like everyone else, early on I encountered challenges and lost a few birds to predators. Then I started focusing on predator-proof designs. The pen I have now, where I live, it is very very very unlikely that a predator can get into it. The birds are in a building inside another building - Its so unlikely that it's just not going to happen. That's what I meant when I said no predator was getting in. Sorry if that confused you. Also, there is no way to prove the pen is predator-proof, nor would it be if a bear (none around here) or a racoon with a a few days to spend and some power tools tried to get in. They might. If they worked at it, and I didn't notice. But that would be my failure for not noticing, not a failure of the pen design. But, since it could be done in certain scenarios, I felt that I cannot call the pen predator proof. That's why i said it wasn't predator proof. Hope that clears it up.

Also, I said I don't have a lot of building skills, but thanks for the compliment.

 

[poultryfan73]

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[ranchhand]

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I admire you for your skills at building, but I am objecting to your self-righteous attitude and contradictions. You said no predator in your area that is getting into your pen and in the same paragraph say that you won't say your pen is predator proof by any means.

I can see how you could be confused. I said I never loose any because, in the pen i have now, I have never lost any birds. However, I have kept chickens a long time, and like everyone else, early on I encountered challenges and lost a few birds to predators. Then I started focusing on predator-proof designs. The pen I have now, where I live, it is very very very unlikely that a predator can get into it. The birds are in a building inside another building - Its so unlikely that it's just not going to happen. That's what I meant when I said no predator was getting in. Sorry if that confused you. Also, there is no way to prove the pen is predator-proof, nor would it be if a bear (none around here) or a racoon with a a few days to spend and some power tools tried to get in. They might. If they worked at it, and I didn't notice. But that would be my failure for not noticing, not a failure of the pen design. But, since it could be done in certain scenarios, I felt that I cannot call the pen predator proof. That's why i said it wasn't predator proof. Hope that clears it up.

Also, I said I don't have a lot of building skills, but thanks for the compliment.

Okay, your phrasing is different from mine. I can understand that. I rarely say the word "never", just like I rarely say I "hate" something. I tend to be cautious with finite words! I do agree that my job is to protect my pets/livestock first and run off the predators second. As was said, they do tend to refill each other's spaces at an alarming rate.

And anyone who can "slap together" a pen or coop has carpentry skills, whether they know it or not. Pretty isn't a qualification, unless you're doing trim or cabinetry.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Two raccoons just tried to get into my barn. I beat both of them to death with a shovel yelling profanities and war cries. Then me and Jake disemboweled the creatures and smeared some of their blood on our faces. Wow, what a great night.

 

[Katy]

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