Raccoon Causing Trouble

[centrarchid]

No birds lost with this event. Raccoon got smashed a little I bet and dog came in shortly after.

This raccoon likely dead as of last night.

 

[IamRainey]

So fortunate your hens were in a sturdy wire kennel!

Raccoons are the worst! Agile, smart and relentless!

Can you stop them from getting into the coop or garage or wherever it is you're keeping your chickens? Look for holes, however small. As bulky as raccoons look, that's really all jiggly fat and fur. Their skeletons are actually quite sleep and they can get through amazingly small spaces. Reinforce anything you need to with strong hardware cloth or hog wire secured with screws and washers they can't work claws under. Anything that opens should have a latch that can be reinforced with a carabiner clip. They can work through a lot of stuff but carabiners need a couple simultaneous manipulations to undo the latch while rotating the clip. That's more than a raccoon can handle. (BUT, if they ever learn teamwork, we're done for! )

 

[centrarchid]

Got another raccoon, This one a male that appears to be a year old. Caught in trap well outside poultry area, at least three perimeters from the chickens I am trying to protect. This second confirmed removal.

 

[cmom]

 

[centrarchid]

This could be a "circle of life" or "enemy of my enemy is my friend" issue. Dead patch of grass had a raccoon carcass on it. Dogs stole carcass leaving behind fly maggots and pupae. Chickens, especially the chicks were cleaning up on the pupae the carrion beetles did not get.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Why, exactly, did you have that many chickens in such a small cage? Were you trying to use them as bait for the raccoon?

 

[centrarchid]

Why, exactly, did you have that many chickens in such a small cage? Were you trying to use them as bait for the raccoon?

Birds only roosted in those pens. The during the day they free-range an area approximating 2 acres. About dark, once birds moved on their own into respective cages, I closed the doors. Doors provided a level of protection an open cage would not. Early in morning before birds come off roost (leave cages) I open doors so they can exit on their own accord. Once juveniles want to roost higher the cages are pulled, cleaned up, and replaced to be be ready for another group of young birds. It is easy to imprint groups on the cages so they adopt them as roosting sites. Sometimes even hens confined at night in a similar manner.

Night of video was most recent a raccoon even penetrated outer perimeter. Getting to where cages are located is not cake walk for a raccoon as there are repellents and lethal surprises.

@AmyJane725

 

[cmom]

I did something similar to that and the chicks would go into their cages. Their safe place.

 

[Fishkeeper]

That's odd, you'd think they'd want more space. Have you ever checked if they'd take a bigger cage?
You should figure out a way to secure the cages in place, so that can't happen again. Might be effective at thwarting 'coons, but falling off of something without any space in which to spread their wings properly can't be good for chickens. Maybe just some of those little screw-in hooks, put into the shelf, with some cord wrapped between them and over the cages?

 

[centrarchid]

That's odd, you'd think they'd want more space. Have you ever checked if they'd take a bigger cage?
You should figure out a way to secure the cages in place, so that can't happen again. Might be effective at thwarting 'coons, but falling off of something without any space in which to spread their wings properly can't be good for chickens. Maybe just some of those little screw-in hooks, put into the shelf, with some cord wrapped between them and over the cages?

When if comes to roost site (cage in this situation), size is trumped by location. Physically the birds had enough space so as not to be piled when sleeping.

4 x 4 pieces of lumber supporting front of cages needed to be spread a further 2" to prevent cage from pitching forward from additional load of a 15-lb raccoon that was on outside of cage. We learn as we go.

Take time to observe sleeping behavior of chickens to see what kind of wing space is used while sleeping. Observations I have with game camera indicate minimal space required during night.

I am willing to bet the cage falling actually saved the chickens in this case. Raccoon was frightened and a lot more noise produced.

Point of cages may not have been properly explained. Cages allow discrete groups to roost in close proximity without discord. Each cage full is a social group that generally conflicts with other social groups. Secondly, when birds are smaller they are exceptionally vulnerable to Great Horned Owls. The cages are very effective at keeping the smaller birds safe from the owls.

Most people would confine larger groups that involve more discord, even when cage would be of size you consider adequate. Look at all the threads dealing with social problems with groups of chickens they are trying to integrate. I do not have that problem.