Raccoon/cat Mad at myself and heart broken!

[Csun132]

You do know they will keep coming. If your coop is secure as you say you will have to keep educating the coons that there is no meal for them to get. When you eliminate one another will take its place.
If you trap it I hope you are dispatching it and not relocating it. Best defense against predators is a secure coop. Then you and your birds can sleep good at night.

David

David,
The coop is secure for sure. We have known we have them around and seen them personally in back yard area but it was my fault they now know or one knows dinner is inside the coop because I left the door open. So need to try to rid our self of that one. Might be a while but I will do it for the girls till they back off as they will just as they have for all the time prior to me leaving the door open. Hate their lesson and learning is my fault but it is how it is.

.Quote:

I caught six one summer before I was done. No doubt there are more, but they may be harder to catch. If that happens start changing your bait. Sweets and fishy things worked best for me. That and chinese egg rolls, don't know why, but I always seem to catch something with an egg roll. Also surround the trap with cement blocks so they can't get to the bait from the outside, put one on top too so they don't just flip it over to get at the bait. Too bad it's spring, I doubt the fur is worth anything.

I know for sure there is one more that ventures onto the back yard property. Two have been seen but more have been seen in the back woods cameras the boys have looking for turkeys that pass through each year. First night we didn't wedge it good and it flipped and dug under to get food dumped from bowl. Last night he did block against the coop and bingo! Except he had fun pulling on the wire for ever so had to do some repairs!!! Strong things that they are even contorted arms out cages!!! Tonight there will be block on each side away from coop!!!! Thanks for food ideas. I will let my son know.

 

[Csun132]

First time out to dust!!! She was in heaven!
Today I had her out with the other two girls she has always been with and she was lowest on pecking order. Well, the girls both attacked her at different times but Gold Dust kept coming back to be by them or get mealworms and the girls would go to her pile and eye ball her off. She isn't ready to rejoin them in the coop yet but I will have to research best way to reintroduce her when she is. I am going to make her a saddle of some sort to help protect Ber wound area for a while.
She has only had one egg, two days after attack, as of now so not sure what to think of that.
Any ideas on how long or should I research egg bound and watch for that?

 

[subhanalah]

You should be able to feel for an egg inside her by gently palpating. I believe the egg she laid was already in the process and was slightly delayed due to the attack. I wouldn't expect her to lay right now since all her extra energy is expended healing.

 

[Csun132]

You should be able to feel for an egg inside her by gently palpating. I believe the egg she laid was already in the process and was slightly delayed due to the attack. I wouldn't expect her to lay right now since all her extra energy is expended healing.

Thanks subhanalah. I will check her tomorrow and see. The egg she hatched was pearl white so it's process had already began and missed the color process most likely from what my research tells me. She seems well and eating and drinking good so I will check her and then be on the look out.

 

[subhanalah]

Thanks subhanalah. I will check her tomorrow and see. The egg she hatched was pearl white so it's process had already began and missed the color process most likely from what my research tells me. She seems well and eating and drinking good so I will check her and then be on the look out.

she may not be giving you eggs, but if you give her some, it would likely help her get back to laying again sooner

ETA: I mean, cooked, for her to eat lol.

 

[Csun132]

I tried scrambled, boiled, and raw with oats while trying to get her to eat after attack and she wouldn't touch them but I will try them again. Also read while researching must now to up her calcium so I will work on that also with her.

 

[subhanalah]

I'm really happy that she seems to be doing so much better. They are tough when it comes to physical injuries!

If you have a ricer or garlic press, put the eggs through that, then they look like worms and are irresistable to chickens!

 

[Csun132]

Aww thanks!!! That is a great idea as she loves mealworms. I could get her to eat those during that time.
I am thankful she is so much better also! I wasn't sure she was going to make it for a while. I think the colloidal silver kept it from getting infected. I am working on a new coop and have two 3 month old chickens that are not being excepted to well with the older two girls and rooster so I may try the three of them together in there.
The rooster is 3 months and was raised with the young two but has chose the older girls now and he tried spurring both the grand kids and my daughter so his days protecting the girls may be munberef if he can't behave!

 

[ChaoSS]

I tried scrambled, boiled, and raw with oats while trying to get her to eat after attack and she wouldn't touch them but I will try them again. Also read while researching must now to up her calcium so I will work on that also with her.

Was she eating cooked oats? Mixing an egg into the cooked oats before cooking is a good way to add a little egg to the diet.

 

[PamelaTX]

Just catching up after being off line for a while and read this thread. It's like a novel! I'm so glad to see she is doing well!!

My biggest fear is predators since I live way out in the country. I'm hoping my "Feather Fortress" (the coop built to withstand a grizzly bear attack even though the worst we have here are coyotes and raccoon) and my dogs will keep my chicks safe. But we are all human and I know someday I will forget to close up the coop. So we plan on a fairly secure coop and I am saving for an automatic pop door that opens and closes itself since I KNOW we will forget at some point.

Don't be hard on yourself. I doubt anyone on BYC can say they have never forgotten. You are a great chicken mom! You've taken such good care of her and, again, I am so glad she is doing well!!