Raccoon attack last night..

[RonP]

I have 15+ years experience with caring for my backyard flock. When building my latest coop and run four years ago, I thought I had made it absolutely safe from all outside predators. I have had numerous "attacks" from raccoons, foxes, opossums, dogs, cats, and predatory birds.

None were successful, until this week...

Had a bantam rooster, stood all of 10" high. Named him the mosquito. He would attack anything, including my shoes. Annoying but ultimately harmless.

A raccoon "attacked" during daylight hours. The mosquito countered, through the fence.
The raccoon was able to grab the poor bird, and hold him...

I trapped the coon the following day.
Funny thing, he looked like he had a mohawk haircut, till I realized it was the fur missing from the top of his head.

I'm going to miss that little rooster

 

[The Lazy L]

...caught them in the trap; so what's the best method of quickly putting them down?...
Any other ideas for quick, humane deaths for a raccoon (while still in the trap) ??

Garbage can full of water.

 

[The Lazy L]

I just let the possum go ...he was in the cage for over 12 hrs so I'm sure he'll be steering clear of the area for awhile at least.
...

I don't think he'll stay clear. He is a video of a coon that got zapped by an electric fence not once but twice and still came back!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

X2
Letting vermin/predators go is a bad idea. Now they're trap wise, will eat chickens and can't be caught again.

 

[EeyoreD]

X2
Letting vermin/predators go is a bad idea. Now they're trap wise, will eat chickens and can't be caught again.

This X10000

I know people don't want to just arbitrarily kill things. But consider that if you let them go somewhere else they become some other poultry-keepers problem, possibly someone on this forum. And, as stated, now they're trapwise. You not only have a duty to protect your flock but a duty to not endanger someone else's.

To one of the previous questions - is it that the live trap won't allow you to get your barrel in to kill it? I imagine a shotgun would be difficult but a small rifle should work. That said, those live traps are awful for what you should be doing. Spend 20-40 bucks and get a couple of duke dog-proof traps. They won't catch any stray dogs are cats (and cats are another issue...) but they will catch coons and possum. Then get a 22 rifle with some long rifle hollow points (coons are surprisingly difficult to kill) and dispatch.

And if you feel bad about dispatching predators, PM me and I'll let you know how you can eat coons (not because you have to but because you WANT to). I don't know that I would eat a possum but if someone has any experience with it, I'm open.

 

[Exterminating]

Raccoons usually only attack when cornered, or when a mother raccoon thinks that you pose a threat to it's raccoon pups. Rabid raccoons may attack, but this usually is not the case. A raccoon with rabies usually becomes very lethargic.

 

[EeyoreD]

Raccoons usually only attack when cornered, or when a mother raccoon thinks that you pose a threat to it's raccoon pups. Rabid raccoons may attack, but this usually is not the case. A raccoon with rabies usually becomes very lethargic.

You mean attack people, right?

Because raccoons will absolutely attack poultry because, you know... food.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Garbage can full of water.

That's the recommended method of the Dept. of Conservation. Some people aren't allowed to discharge firearms.

This X10000

I know people don't want to just arbitrarily kill things. But consider that if you let them go somewhere else they become some other poultry-keepers problem, possibly someone on this forum. And, as stated, now they're trapwise. You not only have a duty to protect your flock but a duty to not endanger someone else's.

To one of the previous questions - is it that the live trap won't allow you to get your barrel in to kill it? I imagine a shotgun would be difficult but a small rifle should work. That said, those live traps are awful for what you should be doing. Spend 20-40 bucks and get a couple of duke dog-proof traps. They won't catch any stray dogs are cats (and cats are another issue...) but they will catch coons and possum. Then get a 22 rifle with some long rifle hollow points (coons are surprisingly difficult to kill) and dispatch.

And if you feel bad about dispatching predators, PM me and I'll let you know how you can eat coons (not because you have to but because you WANT to). I don't know that I would eat a possum but if someone has any experience with it, I'm open.

X2 on all of that.
CBs don't kill coons very effectively.
I don't like killing things - especially in a trap. Coons and possums aren't endangered by any stretch of the imagination.

You mean attack people, right?

Because raccoons will absolutely attack poultry because, you know... food.

Most animals will attack viciously when cornered.

 

[Turbo V6 Camaro]

to all the coons that have killed or tried to kill chickens

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I'm not an experienced chicken person--I don't even own chickens yet. But I was reading about predators in "Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens" earlier today, and it has a chart on predators, to help you figure out what predator got in.... For possums it says "bites on breast or thigh; entire bird eaten on site"....

Google Thieves in the Night from which ever Oklahoma university it is that is involved in agriculture research. This file has much better and more accurate information.. You can get this information for nothing except the electricity.

Now you owe me a new monitor because when Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens said that a possum eats the entire bird on sight I blew hot coffee through my nose to keep from choking on it.
Oh well, I suppose you'll find a good use for that book the next time you need to level up a bookcase or something.