Raccoon broke in but left the chickens? Or did it steal from another animal???

[wilwingswaterfowl]

To dispatch use a .22 with shorts they are short .22 rounds that are quiet and you don't want neighbors to know epically in neighborhood where shooting may be not legal. Put the barrel 6 inches or so away from it's head and shoot it in the brain it will be quick. Ideally is a .22 with a silencer but that is a whole other ball game with laws.

 

[ShrekDawg]

To dispatch use a .22 with shorts they are short .22 rounds that are quiet and you don't want neighbors to know epically in neighborhood where shooting may be not legal. Put the barrel 6 inches or so away from it's head and shoot it in the brain it will be quick. Ideally is a .22 with a silencer but that is a whole other ball game with laws.

Thank you!!

 

[TheOddOneOut]

 

[Rainwing]

Raccoons can lift and push a lot of weight. I was using a 50 lb boulder to secure my chicken shed when something broke the latch off (probably a raccoon or human, both have tried to break in). It worked for a two years but then the raccoons managed to move it and a chicken massacre ensued. I knew it was raccoons based on the claw marks they left and the method of dispatching hens. You would think it is easy to push the boulder but it takes a lot of effort to do so.

We still don't have a new latch and right now I use a large drawer, probably about 80 lbs to keep the coop shut, along with a heavy shovel, and some plastic sheet to cover gaps at the bottom of the shed door, and the same boulder is placed inside the drawer. There is also a large branch that rests upon the door. I hate this set-up, it takes three minutes to lock them in and get them out, so we'll repair the door soon enough. But raccoons are strong. I don't want to risk losing any chickens at all.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/nwrc/publications/17pubs/REP 2017-031.pdf
This paper entails the strength testing of wild raccoons. Raccoons will generally not lift anything above 30 pounds, anything below is fair game, but based on my experience I would still opt for something heavier

 

[ShrekDawg]

View attachment 2136465

Thanks! I didn’t notice the claw marks but could probably still be it I think? Setting up the camera tonight.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Raccoons can lift and push a lot of weight. I was using a 50 lb boulder to secure my chicken shed when something broke the latch off (probably a raccoon or human, both have tried to break in). It worked for a two years but then the raccoons managed to move it and a chicken massacre ensued. I knew it was raccoons based on the claw marks they left and the method of dispatching hens. You would think it is easy to push the boulder but it takes a lot of effort to do so.

We still don't have a new latch and right now I use a large drawer, probably about 80 lbs to keep the coop shut, along with a heavy shovel, and some plastic sheet to cover gaps at the bottom of the shed door, and the same boulder is placed inside the drawer. There is also a large branch that rests upon the door. I hate this set-up, it takes three minutes to lock them in and get them out, so we'll repair the door soon enough. But raccoons are strong. I don't want to risk losing any chickens at all.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/nwrc/publications/17pubs/REP 2017-031.pdf
This paper entails the strength testing of wild raccoons. Raccoons will generally not lift anything above 30 pounds, anything below is fair game, but based on my experience I would still opt for something heavier

Oh wow!!! that’s insane!!! Never would have guessed that was possible!! So sorry for your losses!! And thanks for the warning!

 

[Vicki B.]

I have a racoon family that used to come eat catfood. One night I looked out my porch door and she had 7 very small babies with her. Then the chicken slaughter started. A full belly of catfood wasn't good enough. She killed chickens for the fun of it leaving headless bodies strewn about flaunting it 60 feet from the dog pen with large dogs going crazy barking. That was last year. This year I have a Great Pyrenees turned loose at night. This morning I found little baby raccoon bodies strewn around. I feel terrible about it even though I know it's them or the chickens. I think I will put a bell on him just to give them a little chance to escape while they are small. It is survival of the fittest I know but poor tiny coons were very sad to see.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I have a racoon family that used to come eat catfood. One night I looked out my porch door and she had 7 very small babies with her. Then the chicken slaughter started. A full belly of catfood wasn't good enough. She killed chickens for the fun of it leaving headless bodies strewn about flaunting it 60 feet from the dog pen with large dogs going crazy barking. That was last year. This year I have a Great Pyrenees turned loose at night. This morning I found little baby raccoon bodies strewn around. I feel terrible about it even though I know it's them or the chickens. I think I will put a bell on him just to give them a little chance to escape while they are small. It is survival of the fittest I know but poor tiny coons were very sad to see.

Awww I’m sorry!!! I bet that was hard to see and hard to lose your chickens!!! I just lost 3 a few days ago to I think either foxes or coyotes, probably coyotes, but yet I still think the foxes are beautiful. Coyotes not much but the pups are cute. but our coyotes are so bold it’s terrifying. But anyway, I still think even baby predators are cute and adult foxes are pretty.

 

[Vicki B.]

We have a resident fox also every spring I assume when she has kits she will come under the smallest space under the fence and take a whole chicken no wasted food for her. The dog has really solved that problem too without shooting, trapping or killing the fox.

 

[ShrekDawg]

We have a resident fox also every spring I assume when she has kits she will come under the smallest space under the fence and take a whole chicken no wasted food for her. The dog has really solved that problem too without shooting, trapping or killing the fox.

We had one hanging around and seemed pretty interested in the chickens, they circled the pen, but then they always seem to move on haha

We don’t have a dog anymore.