Raccoon 2 me 0

[sheila3935]

Yesterday we lost 2 of our chickens to what I am sure was a raccoon. Our neighbor caught a baby about 2 weeks ago, so I am sure momma raccoon finally found out we have chickens. I thought our coop was secure but found out it was not. Since then we have beefed up security on the coop so hopefully she will not get anymore. We set traps last night but she is a wiley one. She set off one without getting caught but stole the bait out of both. Now its time to get more inventive. At least she didnt get anymore of my babies. I am so mad right now. I was furious yesterday morning when I went to let everyone out.If she had been in there I would have killed her with my bare hands. I have 2 coops. Most of the chickens were in one coop that she didnt bother. Guess she couldnt find a way in to them, but in the other I had 3 mommas with 3 sets of babies in cages and 3 cochin bantams that liked to hang with the babies. One was my Hop-Sing, he was my calico Cochin rooster that I would take to the schools. He was so good with the kids, letting them hold him and perching on their arms for pictures. From the looks of the coop he put up one heck of a fight. The other was my Buffy. She was a buff Cochin. The raccoon took her completely, Just left some feathers and a peice of skin with wattle attached. Hop-Sing she killed and hid behind a platform we had built for the feeders to come back for last night. At least she didnt get that pleasure. The last one Mei-ling I guess was hiding and she didnt see her. Poor thing, she clucked all day for Hop-Sing. They were hatchmates and best buds. I know it could have been worse. She could have killed them all and the babies and mommas, but taking 2 is not acceptabe to me. I know its our fault for not having it more secure, but now our coops are going to be fort knox.

 

[TeamChaos]

I am so very sorry for your loss! We had our first predator attack and they killed all of our sweet bantams too. I wish you the best of luck remedying the problem.

 

[Tiki108]

We've had a problem with a raccoon and a fox, we found sometimes at night if we play the radio on the porch it sounds like people are around and it helps keep predators away. Not sure if it's just luck or not, but it seems to have helped. The one raccoon we did kill, well my dog kind of killed and my Mom kind of killed. He brought it to her and she thought it was dead, but the second he dropped it, it came back to life and went after the dog. My Mom doesn't like to kill anything, but going after the dog she loves more than anything was not happened and she hit it several times with a shovel on it's head. If there was something more instant I know she would have used that, but that was all she had and she wasn't in a position to leave the situation.

Really sorry for your loss....

 

[sheila3935]

I know how she feels. I know that the momma raccoon is just trying to feed her babies, but not with my chickens. We have plenty of small wildlife around here not to mention neighbors leaving junk out so in my mind there is plenty of other things that momma could feed her young with without taking my chickens. I know that if she had still been in the coop I could have killed her without hesitation, probably with my bare hands as mad as I was. Trust me I dont relish the idea I am an animal lover, but I have to protect my own. By the way Hop-Sing was the chicken in my avatar.

 

[Jaxon4141]

Since you beefed up the security on your coops why do you need to catch the raccoon? Trapping is only a temporary fix, something else will replace it. Raccoon play an important part in keep rodent populations down.

 

[Cetawin]

Since you beefed up the security on your coops why do you need to catch the raccoon? Trapping is only a temporary fix, something else will replace it. Raccoon play an important part in keep rodent populations down.

I will give you an answer for the why? Simple...there is never only one, it will keep coming back which means more opportunity for it to find a weak spot and the way coons populate you could trap 50 and there will still be plenty to go around. I know this from experience having spent many nights shooting them for a friend...they just kept coming and killing. They went as far as to rip away piece of board to squeeze in, chewing through and ripping apart wire, latches must be coon proof because they have the dexterity of a human and can open latches with amazing speed and they are strong determined blood thirsty critters They destroy food stores and many of them carry rabies not to mention the external pests. For rodent control there are snakes, cats, bobcats, fox and even coyotes to name a few and traps for rodents so the coons are not irreplaceable if 100 were taken because they are too far removed from endangered.

I think those are enough reasons for trapping it...if you think I need more reasons, I can post plenty of pictures of their destruction to both coops and chickens. By the way...I stopped counting at 36 I killed for her and she had trapped at least 20 herself. While I am an animal lover, my chickens are mine not a meal for predators and this woman will shoot.

 

[Mattemma]

I say trap them,and always keep the trap set.If mice become a problem trap those too.

 

[Greyfox Farm]

The raccoon is part of the food chain and she's doing her job trying to get food for her babies. I am part the food chain as well , and MY job is to keep MY babies safe. I keep two Duke DP's set just behind the coop at all times. Coon stays in the woods and hunts, she lives; coon comes to the coop to hunt, she dies. End of story.

 

[sheila3935]

We caught 2 last night and dispatched them. Will set the traps again tonight. Trust me I hate killing them but I have a duty to protect mine. They didnt ask to come live with me. I brought them here so I have to protect them at all cost. This is the first time in 3 years that I have had a problem. I have been lucky. My chickens are my pets too besides providing me with eggs. They are learning tool for the schools around here that kids that normally wouldnt get to ever see a live chicken gets to see mine. If I sit by and do nothing all of that stops. Like the other poster said they will find a way. I thought my coops were secure. I was wrong. If the found a place I missed they will find another given enough time. If you had small dogs or cats outside and coons got them wouldnt you do something? No difference. So I am sorry if I have offened some but the ones that have dealt with this issue before me will understand and maybe help me to rectify this problem in the best way possible. For now I will check daily for any way possible for them to get in and take care of it and I will keep trapping.

 

[Tiki108]

I see nothing wrong with killing them, deer are part of the food chain too all animals are. The only thing I don't like is senseless killing like when someone kills a snake because they are afraid or think it's funny, snakes will leave you alone if you leave them alone, though we once had a rat snake that was eating our eggs, easy to relocate him elsewhere, he was not a danger to our chickens, just got a couple less eggs for breakfast, lol. Consider informing a locate trapper you are going to be killing some raccoons, they can use the fur and meat so it doesn't go to waste =)