Please help with racoon.

[cdstewart]

i had a tragic episode where while i was in new orleans someone stole my NN and my EE. They left the DC. I found out that the neighbors lured them over with treats and either ate them or gave them away. (my other neighbor told me) i offered the offender 100 for my two chickens back... the woman and her husbands eyes got huge and i knew that i would never see my chickens again.. I was so furious i decided to move. I took my remaining chicken who was very upset her sisters were gone.. she even stopped laying for a while.. anyway i moved her out to kansas where i now reside.. on a farm where no neighbors want to eat or sell my chickens. I also got pullets.. while the DC was free range and kinda street smart.. she fancied herself as one of the cats in the morning time for feedings, the pullets were in my blue tardis colored rather basic coop. Once they were bigger by a few months, i let them begin free ranging. It was all fine until i forgot to pen them back up and i woke up one morning and found mounds of feathers.. all of my babies had been eaten, and a cat and my DC..i cried.. i know its silly but i raised these chickens from babies... i had them tame.. it took hours and hours of day of individualized attention to get my chicken to that point. My boyfriend who is a fabulous farmer and a total sweetheart bought me more pullets and he and his best friend built me an amazingly huge roomy barn red chicken coop..i doubt my office in new orleans is that nice.. but the new babies go in them tomorrow. its completely predator proof and being in the country its easy to find pallets and crates at any tractor repair shop big ones.. and they were sweet enough to help load the material into the horse trailer... i looooove new orleans.. always will.. but its really nice to have space.. we are putting up the new run for these pullets.. as i was unable to identify the culprit ie: coyote, fox or raccoon, i'm determined to never loose another flock.. its heart breaking..

 

[zazouse]

that is why I have enough land that no one can see back here and I can't see out unless I leave the property, my animals are free and don't bother no one and no ones animals come back here either, but then I got a dozen dogs marking territory between my daughter and I
places

 

[cdstewart]

that is why I have enough land that no one can see back here and I can't see out unless I leave the property, my animals are free and don't bother no one and no ones animals come back here either, but then I got a dozen dogs marking territory between my daughter and I
places

i haven't got a neighbor for miles! I'll tell you country living is fun.. and they have all the best toys... riding mowers?! love them.. and i live on more acreage than i could count. As for my chickens.. they say you only make that mistake once.. They were right. I may be being a bit over protective at this point.. I'm a super young semi-retiree (seriously i'm 34) and chickens are one of my favorite hobbies among about 50 other things.. my chicks have brought me so much joy and the feeling of accomplishment. I'm determined to not lose another one ever again.

 

[cdstewart]

when i was buying these new pullets i was talking to the woman selling them where i purchased them at and she said, "You should get a guard llama" my bf was like what???!! and i said, "OF COURSE I NEED A LLAMA! Why didn't i think of that?" He shot down the llama idea.. and his parents laughed at me.. (secretly i still want one though) and my golden is a lover of all living things.. He thinks having all this land to run around is fun.. but he especially loves this little creek that runs through the property.. A raccoon would probably scare the crap out of him.. Maybe I need more dogs!! I'd have a zoo if i could get away with it.

 

[zazouse]

Oh yea got lots of fun stuff to work with here and I do love it. I learned my lesson long ago about keeping birds loose, must have a pack of dogs at all times, every 3 to 4 years I bring in a new pup and I train for others so I really enjoy life out here and am lucky to have been here most all my life.
I am also retired but I am getting old and things are not working like they use to so I am unable to work for very long periods at a time.

 

[cdstewart]

the peacocks are stunning! its a nice retreat to the life i have in new orleans.. everything is much simpler.. when harvest is going on its especially long.. i work in e-commerce so basically i built a business at a young age and now i live on residual.. it gets boring hence the 3 gazillion hobbies.. you should see my marble collection.. right now though my house is over run with chickens.. i sweep and mop.. they tear it back up.. its soo time for the coop luckily 3 of these 8 are bantoms.

 

[astalwawen]

Get some foot hold traps or a live catch trap. Right now a trapper isn't going to want it because it's the wrong time of year for fur, unless you live in a very cold area. Bait a live catch with grape jelly, coons love it! And once you catch it you're gonna need to shoot it, if your state laws allow you kill nuisance animals on your property. If you take it a couple miles away and let it go, it will most likely come back. Hope you get rid of it!
We built a predator-proof pen, with a wire top, wire a foot under the ground so nothing can dig, double layered wire a foot up the side of the pen so nothing can "reach in" and grab a bird. And we lock the birds inside the pen every night. It keeps out hawks, owls, coons, possums, etc. Now they go and eat the cat food instead of the birds. lol.

 

[budderfly82]

At 330 am this morning I heard a hen screaming. I ran out to find her on my deck..
I was very surprised because I lock them up at night.. my pit who loves my chicks shot
out to investigate with the sounds of my distraught, priscilla (black with tan chest) and chased off the raccoon.
I scooped her up n didnt see any damage but upon inspection of my coop found that
the back door was open.. My broody buff orpington, Petunia's feathers were all over
and shes missing... im heart broken in tears just thinking about it.. ive been up since
330am n its 830 and theres nothing I can do... it turns our my 10 year old opened the
back door to look for eggs n left it unlocked, I only close the outer gate in the front at
dusk and didnt check it... this is the third hen to be taken this way.. the other 2 were
killed before the coop upgrade to predator protect.. but all three vanished... no blood
no bones just a bunch of feather in or right outside the coop and thats it.. what are
the raccoons flying the bodies out of my yard?


Tonight im trying a concoction suggested to me by a farmer..
One can of coke..
One cup of golden malrin

score is 0-3
and I plan to at least even the score

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Put a spring on the door that pulls it shut, and an automatic latch that can be opened from either side

 

[tatertot]

iv read the golden malting works...but be careful cause its poison and birds will drink it too