Raccoon...A Dirty Word!

[firestrike09]

Now I am really worried. Really? Raccoons can get through 1/2" hardware cloth? I have a large (7' tall) window in the back of the coop. Since it is double hung, I leave the top and the bottom open some. The entire thing is covered, from the outside, by hardware cloth, held in place by screws and washers.(not staples). It is, essentially, at ground level. It seems very secure. If racoons can bust through that, somehow, how does anyone keep their birds safe and still have ventilation? Hardware cloth is not cheap. I thought it was about as secure as I could get for fencing!

Good news about the dogs being rehabilitated. I have a couple retrievers who are very interested in my birds as they are bred for it and, in fact, trained for it (particularly they like those guinea fowl). We have had one session with the e-collar, but the birds are not free ranging yet, so I suspect there will be another lesson or two as that occurs. I know what exactly what is meant by "now the dogs act like they dont even see the birds..." I hope my boys are as smart ...because no one is going nowhere ....

No they can NOT getv thru halfinch hardware cloth, unless it is not stapled down correctly. then the can bend it, If any one says they can go thru steel wire they are bull shitting u.

 

[centrarchid]

Now I am really worried. Really? Raccoons can get through 1/2" hardware cloth? I have a large (7' tall) window in the back of the coop. Since it is double hung, I leave the top and the bottom open some. The entire thing is covered, from the outside, by hardware cloth, held in place by screws and washers.(not staples). It is, essentially, at ground level. It seems very secure. If racoons can bust through that, somehow, how does anyone keep their birds safe and still have ventilation? Hardware cloth is not cheap. I thought it was about as secure as I could get for fencing!

Good news about the dogs being rehabilitated. I have a couple retrievers who are very interested in my birds as they are bred for it and, in fact, trained for it (particularly they like those guinea fowl). We have had one session with the e-collar, but the birds are not free ranging yet, so I suspect there will be another lesson or two as that occurs. I know what exactly what is meant by "now the dogs act like they dont even see the birds..." I hope my boys are as smart ...because no one is going nowhere ....

I use German Pointers (bird dogs) as livestock guardians for free-range chickens but do not employ shock collars. Dogs tree and help dispatch coons. They kill oppossums outright. I have killed more raccoons this year than birds lost to predators. Dog killed a red fox as well. Older dog did kill a few young birds before he came into proper function.

 

[firestrike09]

Coons can also destroy hardwear cloth and chicken wire so planning is key especially on a budget.

This person uses cheap *** hardware cloth. They do not go thru STEEL wire, thats half inch. They cant get there teeth around it either to naw thru it. The only way they could get thru hardware cloth is if it is not properly attached to frame every 4 inches.. staple gun does the job

 

[Jimtherunner]

thanks. My half inch welded wire hardware cloth is screwed in place, every 4", held by self starting metal screws and washers to the metal window frame -- my coop is steel, not wood (not my choice). I think I am ok on this aspect?

 

[Jimtherunner]

Yeah, I know, it probably sounds like my dogs are abused with the "shock collar". Fact is, they both competed in retrieving competitions (and are titled) and were collar "conditioned" before the collar was ever used to correct a deliberately disobedient act (which is all it has ever been used for). That teaches them that a remote "burn" comes from ME. It is rarely used anymore as we no longer compete, but when our dogs are willfully disobedient and it is really critical for their safety (or my birds, in this case), they will get a refresher course in obedience. If they can't behave, they can't do lots of stuff, have to be kept separate from the other animals, etc. -- and that is not the life I want for them or for me. Frankly, they are both so collar-wise now that all I have to do is strap a fake (dummy) collar on them, and they are like poster dogs for obedience schools Chickens? What chickens?

 

[muddychicken2]

Take that you vicious coon.

 

[Jimtherunner]

Yes, I know the breed. Many friends hunt with that breed. Smart and exceptional bird dogs. I have retrievers (golden and a lab). My dogs are trained to hunt mostly upland game and compete, and they really really really love hunting birds. They are beside themselves with these guinea, in particular. They are smart boys, so we will get it worked out because we must, but ...

My question is this: do you or did you hunt your German Shorthair? Did he figure out that birds at home are family and birds in the field are game all by himself? Was it automatic or was there a learning curve?

Not to be a snob or to imply that your dog is otherwise (please forgive if I sound like it), but my dogs are highly bred for retrieving and competing, and the lab, in particular, is obsessive about retrieving and hunting. He is soft mouthed, so he does not kill the birds he retrieves, but the terror, the chaos, the possibility of accidental injury, etc... no can do. The golden has killed raccoons and oppossums here, but he would also like to take apart the two "barn" cats left behind by previous owner, so we have that problem to deal with (making them get along) also.

Other than the e-collar (in formal training), my dogs have never gotten anything other than an open handed swat on the butt except my lab got a burn for running through my garden .. and that was the end of that. They are 9 and 7.

Do you think the e-collar is a bad idea for this task? Any other suggestions?

 

[Uriel]

thanks for startin up t his discusion. i live in the middle of nowhere and the raccoons are more like minibears. and they take their cubs hunting, and those cubs are small enough to wiggle in any little place. we lost a newborn along with about 10 weekolds lastnight. they got in outbarn coop we secured kt every place buthey pulled up the chicken wire. ilost 5 german spitz, 5 welsumers, and 4 yokohamas. i miss my little angels and i cherish they time i spent with them all this week.

we are getting motion detector alarms and security cams for our farm .

 

[Jimtherunner]

SO SAD! Infuriating too! I got this photo last summer ...before I had chickens. The kennels were here when we bought the place, and we don't put anything in them, including our two dogs, BUT I never would have realized that raccoons can scale 8' tall fences ...and fast too (although she was quite motivated). Tragically, she is now nesting in the bathroom walls of this barn, which will be dealt with when we remove the destroyed walls. They are everywhere this year!

 

[centrarchid]

Yes, I know the breed. Many friends hunt with that breed. Smart and exceptional bird dogs. I have retrievers (golden and a lab). My dogs are trained to hunt mostly upland game and compete, and they really really really love hunting birds. They are beside themselves with these guinea, in particular. They are smart boys, so we will get it worked out because we must, but ...

My question is this: do you or did you hunt your German Shorthair? Did he figure out that birds at home are family and birds in the field are game all by himself? Was it automatic or was there a learning curve?

Not to be a snob or to imply that your dog is otherwise (please forgive if I sound like it), but my dogs are highly bred for retrieving and competing, and the lab, in particular, is obsessive about retrieving and hunting. He is soft mouthed, so he does not kill the birds he retrieves, but the terror, the chaos, the possibility of accidental injury, etc... no can do. The golden has killed raccoons and oppossums here, but he would also like to take apart the two "barn" cats left behind by previous owner, so we have that problem to deal with (making them get along) also.

Other than the e-collar (in formal training), my dogs have never gotten anything other than an open handed swat on the butt except my lab got a burn for running through my garden .. and that was the end of that. They are 9 and 7.

Do you think the e-collar is a bad idea for this task? Any other suggestions?

My pointers are out of competitive / working stock. Black and tan coonhounds we used to have were also working dogs for raccoon and a couple were used on bear as well. The hounds did quite well under the overly controlled unrealistic situations of the competitions while the pure competitive dogs could not do so well under normal hunting conditions so snobbery he little water with me.

The hunting activities have little or nothing to do with activities not involving species dog trained to hunt. Dogs are very much into going after targeted species but have been broke of going after non-targets or simply not promoted to do so. When going after desired prey rewards quick and high volume. Failure would result in coonhounds tracking deer, rabbits or oppossums and pointer going after voles when target might be bobwhite quail or ringed-necked pheasant. My dogs can distinguish between type of similar sized game based on sight and smell. Just because you have a stellar pheasant dog does not mean it cannot be trusted around guinees and chickens, otherwise your bird dog might also be going after doves and sparrows when it should be going after something else.


E-collars are effective is used by properly trained trainer. I am not such. With most of my dogs I had to start with adults and break of poutlry killing habit through a little discipline and lots of exposure. Best is to start with pups and imprint them on poultry while still young. My endpoint is dogs being left with poutlry when I am not around and not being worried about dogs causing harm.