Raccoon Broad Daylight

[KansasChickensDucks]

Hello! We just had a raccoon come into our chicken run this morning, not once but three times. Luckily I was working outside in our barn and saw it come out of the forest and under the fence. There’s is one or two gaps that something can slip under and believe it’s not very much, maybe 3”. So I’m going to put wire over these two areas.

Question, now I’m worried about letting them out of their chicken barn too early, does anyone have tips that can deter the raccoons? Our chicken barn has 12” of wire all around the bottom and is completely enclosed, but the run besides the fence is open at the top.
Does anyone use barbed wire? I feel like it will look like a jail but I never thought I would see a raccoon in the daylight and when I was Outside. Thank you!

 

[darkbaysfordays]

Good job being vigilant! Some people use electrified wire.

 

[cmom]

I have heavy duty netting over my pens. I had a coyote go over a 5' fence into a pen and it jumped back out along with some of the birds. I did loose a few birds that day. Since I put the netting up. The only thing I have caught in it is an owl. I didn't have quite enough to cover all of the pens so I bought some online that wasn't what I thought it was but put it up anyway. My problem then was an owl. It went right through the crappy netting and killed some birds. I got some good netting and put it up and the owl tried to go through it again but this time got caught in it. I don't know if it will stop a coon but I have seen coons on my game cameras and so far they haven't bothered the birds. I also have electric wire around the coops and pens and concrete under the gates all do to losses from predators in the past. Good luck...

 

[zgun]

Should I be concerned with armadillos getting into a chicken pen? I live in the Piedmont area of Georgia, and they are a nuisance.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Did that coon look sick?
Distemper and rabies are common in them.

I would be trapping this one for disposal.


To answer before it is asked.....no chickens cannot get rabies. Dogs cats and other mammals can. No mammals do not have to be bitten to get it. Just contact with where a sick one has been can be enough to transmit it.

 

[cmom]

I have had armadillos here but they prefer grubs.

 

[darkbaysfordays]

I'm pretty sure armadillos are insectivores, not carnivores. Digging holes that let other critters in may be an issue but probably not.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

You need to trap the raccoon asap. Sorry that you are having this problem.

 

[KansasChickensDucks]

Did that coon look sick?
Distemper and rabies are common in them.

I would be trapping this one for disposal.


To answer before it is asked.....no chickens cannot get rabies. Dogs cats and other mammals can. No mammals do not have to be bitten to get it. Just contact with where a sick one has been can be enough to transmit it.

it looked fine. My son was able to shoot it. We are going to dispose of the animal but we will look at it.

 

[KansasChickensDucks]

You need to trap the raccoon asap. Sorry that you are having this problem.

We killed it. Was able to shoot it after it came out after the 3rd time!!!