Raccoon 2 me 0

[Jaxon4141]

I understand what the poster is saying about killing the coons and really I have alot of guilt about doing it but I have to protect my chickens. I really thought my coops were preditor proof. I havent had any problems for 3 years. As for the rodent problem, I have plenty of mice around here that they could eat but guess they arent as easy to catch as sleeping chickens. I would gladly let them take all the mice they want. I would never kill an animal for no reason. I have had to put down sick or deformed chicks that wouldnt make it or had a dog put down that was suffering. This is the first time we have ever had to take the life of an animal and I will tell you it isnt easy, but what other choice do I have when She ripped the hardware cloth off the window to gain access. It was put on very well or so I thought. If there was another way I would gladly take it. My only other choice would be to rehome my chickens and ducks and most of them I hatched out myself and couldnt do that. These poor little chickens didnt stand a chance. They were locked up in a coop in the dark where they couldnt see very well to be snatched out of sleep by a raccoon tearing them apart. I know that is the way of nature but if I can help it not my chickens. What about people who have them destroyed because they get into their attics and cause damage. To me that would be for no reason but I dont put them down because of it. I dont know, Im sorry that this thread has caused bad feelings. I am just emotional about loosing 2 of my chickens and dont want to lose anymore.

I understand the how emotional it can be to find one of your chickens dead or missing. We raise them and take care of them and become very attached to them. A loss is very hard.

I don't think it's so bad stirring up some feelings. Anyone killing more than 50 predators in less than a year is not trying to protect chickens, they are feeding an addiction.

It sounds to me that you are thinking more along the lines of security that killing. Raccoon are extremely strong animal. My folks used wooden battens screwed over the edges of the hardware on their coops.

Once again, sorry for your loss.

 

[Jaxon4141]

I understand completely. A raccoon got another one of my bantam crochins last night (early morning). That 's a total of 2 bantams, 5 brahams, 2 polish. This last one he pulled right through the wire, piece by piece. I am borrowing my brother's live trap to see if I can catch it; that is unless I find its hole first.

This is not the fault of the raccoon, it's the owner of the chickens fault.

 

[Jaxon4141]

Let me just start by saying that I think raccoons are one of the most adorable creatures out there! Those little bandit faces....too darn cute.

But that is what they are....bandits. And smart ones. If they have found an easy source of food, they WILL come back. Heck, people are the same way for that matter, otherwise, fast food chains wouldn't be so popular...it sure isn't because the food is good! Anyway, whether the chickens are pets or a source of income, or both, ANYTHING that is a threat to them needs to be removed. Since it is illegal to re-home them somewhere else (nor very ethical to just drop your problems onto some other unsuspecting person), it seems that killing them is the only method left. I too, am not for sense less killing of any animal for any reason. But I don't consider protecting my own as senseless....in fact, I would consider that senseFUL.

But that is just my $.02.
I don't know if raccoons will chew wires like squirrels will or not, but, a local family lost their house last year when a squirrel got into the attic and chewed wires causing a house fire. 2 dogs and a cat were lost in that fire. Thankfully, no human lives were lost (there were 3 children in the house at the time). So, if a raccoon or squirrel were in my attic or cellar, yes, they would have to go as well. My children's lives are more valuable to me than that of any animal.

Killing the occupant of your attic does not fix the underlying problem. In this part of the country we would consider maybe there is some maintenance needed on the structure that has animals in the attic. I check my attic twice a year to make sure I have structural integrity. Killing the animal in the attic is just another justification to kill.

 

[holyhart]

Killing the occupant of your attic does not fix the underlying problem. In this part of the country we would consider maybe there is some maintenance needed on the structure that has animals in the attic. I check my attic twice a year to make sure I have structural integrity. Killing the animal in the attic is just another justification to kill.

I agree with maintenance and my husband is VERY good about maintaining our home. But if said animal poses a threat to my children....then YES it is a justification to kill!!!!

 

[tntbell]

Racoons are in no danger of becoming extinct. In fact, they are severely overpopulated. I kill all that cone in my yard. They don't come back.

 

[sheila3935]

Im sorry I used the attic as a metaphor not a very good one at that. Yes I think that my coops are now pretty secure, but I am not willing to take a chance. If they found a weak spot once they will find it again. Raccoons are smart. They know now that food is there. They will keep trying. I am hoping to thin out the ones that know and then maybe we can stop the trapping. If I could put an electric fence around the yard I would but that wouldnt solve it they would just come down through the trees. If there was a repellent that would work I would use that instead, but I dont know of any. I have dogs that are on the other side of the fence, but I dont trust them around the chickens so that wouldnt work either. Trust me I have thought all options before I just said kill them.I have seen raccoons in the area before and never did anything until they started with my chickens. My chickens are defenseless. They count on me to protect them. I have built my coops to be predator proof but they found a way and will again no matter what I do. If a raccoon cat get into your house dont you think they could get into a coop? If you can tell me a way to build totally predator proof I will do it.Around the chiclen yard I have 6 ft chain link and 6 ft privacy fence. They also have chain link runs when I have to use them. My coops are built out of wood except for one which is a recycled 5th wheel camper. They have hardware cloth on the windows. They are locked tight at night never left in the run. And yet the raccoons found a weak spot. Maybe my hardware cloth got weak, I dont know. I only know that until I get these gone they will keep coming. I have taken measure to find and replace any ares that I think looks like it could be breeched, but now I am afraid. I dont want to find that again. Jaxon4141 if you could post fool proof plans for a coop that a raccoon could not breach. I will build it and never trap again. I HATE IT! I hate having to take an animals life that is just doing what it supposed to do, but I have to protect my chickens, just as you would something of yours.

 

[TeamChaos]

I will continue to trap and kill animals that breech my "perimeter" and I will do so without apology. We've got 79 acres on the farm that the wild critters can do whatever they want and they're welcome to it. In the barnyard, the barn, the house and the woodshed- well, that's where people are, dogs patrol, and chickens, guineas, ducks and geese are allowed to range with some degree of security. Yes, I've got tight coops that the birds go up in at nite but a few times a year we have a broody hen hide, a baby get separated, or a juvenile decide to try and sleep on a fence etc. and I'm not okay with counting them as a loss because as soon as the sun goes down, we're overwhelmed with predators. Besides that, I will not risk my animals getting sick because the opossums, raccoons, rats etc. have pooped in their living space, soiled their food or crawled through the hay they're provided to eat. Things are as secured as they're going to get around our farm, but the barn is close to 100 yrs old and there's only so much that can be done to it. I'm really not sure why the right for a raccoon to do what comes naturally to it would trump my right to keep animals in my care, that I have accepted responsibility for their lives, safe and healthy. I figure that the 'coons that are smart enough to avoid the chicken houses can pass on those superior genetics to all the many generations they can raise in the back valley.

 

[critterbug]

This is not the fault of the raccoon, it's the owner of the chickens fault.

Yea, for not sending it to boot hill already!

 

[Jaxon4141]

Im sorry I used the attic as a metaphor not a very good one at that. Yes I think that my coops are now pretty secure, but I am not willing to take a chance. If they found a weak spot once they will find it again. Raccoons are smart. They know now that food is there. They will keep trying. I am hoping to thin out the ones that know and then maybe we can stop the trapping. If I could put an electric fence around the yard I would but that wouldnt solve it they would just come down through the trees. If there was a repellent that would work I would use that instead, but I dont know of any. I have dogs that are on the other side of the fence, but I dont trust them around the chickens so that wouldnt work either. Trust me I have thought all options before I just said kill them.I have seen raccoons in the area before and never did anything until they started with my chickens. My chickens are defenseless. They count on me to protect them. I have built my coops to be predator proof but they found a way and will again no matter what I do. If a raccoon cat get into your house dont you think they could get into a coop? If you can tell me a way to build totally predator proof I will do it.Around the chiclen yard I have 6 ft chain link and 6 ft privacy fence. They also have chain link runs when I have to use them. My coops are built out of wood except for one which is a recycled 5th wheel camper. They have hardware cloth on the windows. They are locked tight at night never left in the run. And yet the raccoons found a weak spot. Maybe my hardware cloth got weak, I dont know. I only know that until I get these gone they will keep coming. I have taken measure to find and replace any ares that I think looks like it could be breeched, but now I am afraid. I dont want to find that again. Jaxon4141 if you could post fool proof plans for a coop that a raccoon could not breach. I will build it and never trap again. I HATE IT! I hate having to take an animals life that is just doing what it supposed to do, but I have to protect my chickens, just as you would something of yours.

This is the dilemma of all chicken owner with a heart have. How do I have a predator proof system so I don't kill of the wild life in the name of owing chickens. If you have a weakness in the security of your chickens, it will probably be found even if you dispatch this current culprit. I always try and predator proof from the outside of both runs and coops. Some lessons are hard learned, but at some point you will have to trust that you can do it.

My situation is different from most on this forum. I use my chickens as work animals. My real enthusiasm is gardening and I have some chickens to prepare garden beds for me. So my coop and run are geared towards gardening bed size and the ability to be move around. I live in an area where raccoons are very plentiful, I have a large opossum that live about 40' from my garden and a few fox that live within a quarter mile. No trapping or hunting is allowed here. When I first set chickens out in my garden I had raccoons all over the runs and coop at night. Now they just passing through. They do not hang around like they use to.

 

[Greyfox Farm]

Newbie here,what is a Duke DP? Also, has any one had experience with Night guard protection units? If so, what are your thoughts and advise on using these?

Sorry, been away a couple of days Duke is the brand of trap, and DP stands for "dog proof." It's an ingenious devcie, really. It's a steel tube about 4" long with a springloaded steel loop at the top. You load the tube with bait such as marshmallows or sardines. The coon reaches in to grab the food and in so doing pulls the trigger mechanism UP releasing the trap and thereby catching his paw with the loop. The beauty of these is that they are small, inexpensive and will catching NOTHING that doesn't reach in. Step into it, nothing. That's the "dog proof" part. They are very inconspicous in the woods and can be set just about anywhere, as opposed to the live traps which have to be set pretty much on a flat surface. Great devices.