Raccoon Attack

[centrarchid]

Coyotes??? Aw man...Coyotes can get over a 4 foot chain link fence then. My cats have been freaked out lately for some reason.
Perhaps it it coyotes?! This animal had to slide the wall open with a full bucket of water (5 gal...so aprox 40 lbs?) resting up against it, in order to get in. Strong and persistent.

My dogs can clear 4 foot fence just as coyote would pretty easy. Coyote can also like a dog push loads like a 40 lb bucket of water out of the way if there is something to push against.

 

[Gallus Sapien]

220 conibear .....set it .... it will kill the coon without any mess instantly. Any questions reply

 

[piddowstix]

I just had a raccoon raid my chicken run, killing my namesake hen, Piddowstix. It happened about 2:30 am when I awoke to screaming. It was a moonlit night, so I could see the trail without a flashlight until I got to their pen. I was unprepared for the carnage, and poor little Piddowstix, who had been through so much throughout her life lay in the corner of the pen shuddering her last.
Rather than let her death go for naught, I used her little, torn body as bait in a live trap to catch the culprit, leaving the trap at the sight of the kill.
The next morning I went down to find a raccoon in the trap with Piddowstix.
I will decline to say what I did with the animal except that I spared his life due to the fact that it was my fault and he was following his nature.
It was my fault because I had not built a secure house for them. (I had been forced to move the chicken pen due to neighbor complaints.)
I have many obligations which caused me to put off my responsibilities of building a secure pen and house. My beloved girl paid the ultimate price.
I would like to address the people who quote unsubstantiated statistics about rabies at the risk of alienating myself from some of my friends here at "Backyard Chickens".....
Check out the stats on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) where it shows a statistical analysis of human rabies from March 15, 1995 to August 31, 2011, showed only one (1) case of raccoon to human transmission of rabies. (which occurred March 13, 2003 in Virginia) It was documented as "unknown exposure" (which causes one to wonder if they actually knew that it WAS a raccoon)
Conversely, the CDC states that many times these identifications of the offender was by conjecture alone.
That being said, I must reinforce my henhouse and run, and I suggest anyone who is experiencing the same to do so also.
Instead of trying to wipe out all wildlife in the area, (I live on a river where wildlife flourish) or nursing a hatred for creatures who will take advantage of an easy meal due to human irresponsibility, build a suitable pen and house or hire someone to do it for you. Simply put; BE SMARTER THAN THE RACCOON! (or other predator) Aren't humans the "superior" species after all?

 

[piddowstix]

That is the most practical way, the food they get from eating our girls is a fair trade to eat them and use their fur, there are many good recipes for coon.
My girlfriend petitioned for the life of the coon, so I relented and relocated, against my better judgement, I told her it's a one time deal with a live trap, he won't fall for it again, so next time,(if there is one) I will not have the luxury of kindness and mercy. I am building a more secure A-frame which shall be finished today. that should solve the problem for all but bears, which, thankfully, are the only thing I haven't found sign of.

 

[elmtree]

My poor Norbert was attacked today. He died protecting his girls. He fought along six RIR roosters to save the girls. His head was torn off (we could see his spine) and his breast meat exposed. He was so beautiful and was 14 weeks.

 

[jecombs]

Had a coon pop his head out of a bush right next to the coop while I was putting the flock up tonight. Scared the crap out of me! Luckily, I was carrying a large stick (trying to heard the girls into the coop with it). I screamed and swung at him, but hit the fence instead. Little f-er ran back into the tall grass. I saw him sticking his head out a few minutes later, looking at the run. Unfortunately, hubby wasn't fast enough with the gun so the coon got away. We're going to pick up a live trap tomorrow to try to catch him and then dispatch him.

What should be bait the trap with?

 

[piddowstix]

Stinky canned cat food or, like in my case of losing a hen to the predator, using the remains of their victim. They kill for food, so they will return to the site if interrupted, which happened in my circumstance.

 

[piddowstix]

By the way, that's Piddowstix in the photo with me. Every time I see my Avatar while on this site, I am reminded how important it is to do a thorough job when building my hen house and run. I'm planning on posting the project if anyone's interested in seeing it. (just gotta figure out how to post projects)

 

[dringge]

220 conibear .....set it .... it will kill the coon without any mess instantly. Any questions reply

A conibear is the quickest. You don't need to think about gassing or drowning the animal but the trap kills everything. I am not against there use. If you decide to go this route and are unfamiliar with conibears get a lesson from someone that knows their use. You can get hurt pretty bad if you are a bit clumsy.

 

[okieprime]

TSC has animal traps. Buy one and then go get a jar of peanut butter and some saltine crackers. Set the trap a little ways away from your coop. Check it in the morning for a coon. What you do with it is up to you.. I have a friend who loves to go coon hunting and he lets me bring it out to his house and takes it down to the creek. Also I have loaded them up in the pickup and released them far from my house..

I lost seven chicks in two nights! Bought a trap and have not lost one since. By the way I have caught 8 coons in two months so this works for me. Good luck and may your chickens have a good nights sleep. Larry