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

[chicknmania]

Soooo I went out to check the chickens today and let them out and I discovered a bunch of empty egg shells on the ground outside the coop, appears to be about 6 eggs with yolk still pretty fresh in some, and what appears to be raccoon prints on top of the nest box??? But I cannot for the life of me figure out how a raccoon would have gotten in!!! Or why they would have left the chickens alone???

Our coop and run is pretty secure and the nest box lid is very very heavy and large and fits pretty snug so I don’t think a raccoon would be able to lift it???

We do leave the pop door open usually but it’s in a chain link run with a 2x4 wire top and a hardware cloth cage around the ramp... no gap big enough for a raccoon to fit through, something smaller maybe but definitely not a raccoon, and there’s no ripped wire or gaps on the top. I checked. Plus there’s plywood over part of the roof.

We have hardware cloth under all the eaves and over the window screens (two small windows). All of that is still intact.

There’s a very small gap under the back door when it closes I guess but again, not big enough for a raccoon, and there’s top and bottom latches so it can’t be pried open either. I suppose it’s possible a raccoon somehow managed to open the latches and get in but both latches???? And also the door was not open which I would have thought it would be if they got in, right? Cause surely they’re not courteous enough to shut the door behind them and relatch it.

I checked them last night and everything was fine and the yolk seemed pretty fresh but not super fresh so it’s possible it happened this morning???

But the chickens also do not seem at all spooked or scared which I would have thought they would be if something was in the coop. Plus a raccoon would have killed them all, right???

Is it possible a raccoon was just watching or happened to be passing by or something and stole the eggs from something else???

Like is it possible that a rat or weasel or even snake stole the eggs and then the raccoon stole the eggs from them????

Or do you think the raccoon did somehow manage to get in??? Wouldn’t it have gotten trapped inside??? This is all such a huge mystery and it’s driving me crazy!!!

For now though I will be closing the pop door at night and maybe putting a lock or something heavy on the nest box lid.

I think I will also set up a game camera. I got a couple for my birthday about a month ago but haven’t used them yet. I’m thinking this is the perfect opportunity.

This mystery is going to drive me bananas though!!

The chickens are all perfectly fine. Just the eggs that were stolen.

Also there were about 4 still in the nest boxes so they must have been laid after I guess.

It left the chickens alone because eggs are easier to get and quicker too.

 

[ShrekDawg]

It left the chickens alone because eggs are easier to get and quicker too.

That makes sense!! Especially since my birds all sleep pretty high up and are quite large.

 

[chicknmania]

That makes sense!! Especially since my birds all sleep pretty high up and are quite large.

Here, too. And, I haven't done anything about our recent raccoon because for a long time that's all it was doing, was just stealing a couple eggs. Always during the day, it can't get in at night. Well, now it's progressed to stealing ALL the eggs, and this afternoon I found it in the barn with three or four pullets terrified and crowded in to a corner. (there were no more eggs). So things progress, unfortunately. I don't like to trap them, but looks like I will have to...and it's no easy task, because so many people around here either feed them, or trap them and then let them go. They become trap wise very quickly. Even if it doesn't go after birds, it seriously stresses them out after awhile, and they are starting to feel like they have nowhere to lay. Our peafowl and some of our hens will not come in the barn in the evening until I come out to feed supper and escort them in, and show them all is ok in there. So it's a problem.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Here, too. And, I haven't done anything about our recent raccoon because for a long time that's all it was doing, was just stealing a couple eggs. Always during the day, it can't get in at night. Well, now it's progressed to stealing ALL the eggs, and this afternoon I found it in the barn with three or four pullets terrified and crowded in to a corner. (there were no more eggs). So things progress, unfortunately. I don't like to trap them, but looks like I will have to...and it's no easy task, because so many people around here either feed them, or trap them and then let them go. They become trap wise very quickly. Even if it doesn't go after birds, it seriously stresses them out after awhile, and they are starting to feel like they have nowhere to lay. Our peafowl and some of our hens will not come in the barn in the evening until I come out to feed supper and escort them in, and show them all is ok in there. So it's a problem.

I hope you can catch it!!! Thankfully I don’t think anyone around here traps them but I’m not sure.

 

[TK421]

@KDOGG331, unfortunately, there have been a few wrong guesses of your culprit. I’m not too shabby at tracks, and was certified as a level 2 tracker a few years ago.

The tracks are too big to be any kind of squirrel, so let’s eliminate those entirely. Raccoon and possum tracks leave longer toes And possum tracks especially leave a thumb that shows up significantly more angled away from the direction of travel. Your track marks don’t have elongated toes but instead small “normal track” sized toes. So we can rule out both opossum and raccoons. Striped Skunks can’t climb and very few animals leave 5 tracks on the front and back, so that’s your biggest and most helpful clue. I’m not from Massachusetts (And we don’t have many mustelids in Texas) but I think you should look closely at fisher or marten as your culprit.

raccoons can squeeze through a 3 inch gap. I know because I have a 3” gap where my chain link door meets the frame and have to shoo away coons from inside my run several Times each week. They can lift up to 30 lbs each. However martens and fisher are much smaller and can fit in tighter places. It would be nothing for them to slink inside and steal a few eggs. If you can tighten up the cracks that would help.

 

[ShrekDawg]

@KDOGG331, unfortunately, there have been a few wrong guesses of your culprit. I’m not too shabby at tracks, and was certified as a level 2 tracker a few years ago.

The tracks are too big to be any kind of squirrel, so let’s eliminate those entirely. Raccoon and possum tracks leave longer toes And possum tracks especially leave a thumb that shows up significantly more angled away from the direction of travel. Your track marks don’t have elongated toes but instead small “normal track” sized toes. So we can rule out both opossum and raccoons. Striped Skunks can’t climb and very few animals leave 5 tracks on the front and back, so that’s your biggest and most helpful clue. I’m not from Massachusetts (And we don’t have many mustelids in Texas) but I think you should look closely at fisher or marten as your culprit.

raccoons can squeeze through a 3 inch gap. I know because I have a 3” gap where my chain link door meets the frame and have to shoo away coons from inside my run several Times each week. They can lift up to 30 lbs each. However martens and fisher are much smaller and can fit in tighter places. It would be nothing for them to slink inside and steal a few eggs. If you can tighten up the cracks that would help.

Thank you!!! This was extremely helpful!! Never would have thought of those. Surprised they didn’t eat the chickens though.

And wow that’s impressive!!

I’ll definitely work on tightening everything up!!

 

[keesmom]

raccoons can squeeze through a 3 inch gap. I know because I have a 3” gap where my chain link door meets the frame and have to shoo away coons from inside my run several Times each week. They can lift up to 30 lbs each. However martens and fisher are much smaller and can fit in tighter places. It would be nothing for them to slink inside and steal a few eggs. If you can tighten up the cracks that would help.
[/QUOTE]

I'm not sure I'd call fishers small. They're skinnier than a raccoon, but they're usually longer. The local mink and weasels are tiny though.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I'm not sure I'd call fishers small. They're skinnier than a raccoon, but they're usually longer. The local mink and weasels are tiny though.

I’ve been wondering if we might have a weasel or something nearby because we have some pretty big holes

 

[TK421]

I'm not sure I'd call fishers small. They're skinnier than a raccoon, but they're usually longer. The local mink and weasels are tiny though.

i was ThInking of skull and shoulder size, as determined by the size of hole it could fit through. big Bull raccoons can get pretty big-up to 30 or 40 lbs. That’s nothing to sneeze at.

 

[ShrekDawg]

i was ThInking of skull and shoulder size, as determined by the size of hole it could fit through. big Bull raccoons can get pretty big-up to 30 or 40 lbs. That’s nothing to sneeze at.

Oh wow I had no idea they could get so big!!