Raccoon!! Emergency!

[chicks4kids]

Great news!!! Glad to hear she's doing better...amazing story!

 

[Intheswamp]

I know you have a fort knox coop, but what type of wire did the first coon rip through?

Thanks,
Ed

 

[chuckzoo]

Glad to hear she has been doing well - I have been thinking about her and you!

 

[Soccer Mom]

And tell your DH that is is wrong about coons not coming in families. Spring is terrible for coons. The babies start getting big enough to go out and try hunting, but mama is REALLY hungry from all the nursing and will be hunting nightly. I would keep baiting the trap. You'll be amazed how many coons you may have.

 

[henmomma]

Quote:
Hubby bought a heavy guage chicken mesh and it's only been up for a few months. He installed it to replace the old, thin, and starting to rust stuff. Coon came through the wire on the top of the run part. He also pulled down and dragged all over the place the hanging feeder that we feed the laying crumbles in.

I couldn't believe the mess! Feeder in pieces, chunks of feathers everywhere. I think Cookie was in the fight of her life and fought good and hard. From the looks of it, she ran all over the place before he got her. I wish I had just run straight out there now instead of waiting for DH and the gun.

I was scared though - there is a bobcat spotted around lately too :-(

 

[chikmagnet_09]

I have been reading your story all along....I am SOO glad to hear that things are going better for you and Cookie....this is truly an amazing story!! Hope things continue to improve for you both!!

 

[Bat Cave Silkies]

I've been keeping track of this story since the beginning---but we've had so much trauma with our own chickens in the past, I just couldn't give advice. But Soccer Mom, now you've got me worried.



Think I might have to set up the traps again because I just can't bear to lose any more birds or nurse them back to health after they've been mutilated and mauled. I know that the area wildlife has to eat, but let them eat other wildlife---NOT my domesticated babies.

I'm thrilled that Cookie is doing so well; chickens are amazing creatures, very resilient---my Peaches and Honey taught me that after they were mutilated by my own dogs.

 

[moonpie]

I'm happy that she's doing so well despite the circumstances. What a heart wrenching story. It's nice to know that there are other people out there who value their pets, even chickens so much. People think I'm crazy spending my last dollar to save one of my babies. To me my animals are like children, and their lives valuable! I hope and pray that poor little Cookie will pull through and maybe regrow some of her beak. Please, Please keep us updated! Our coop, thankfully is made from all plywood, with 3 4x4x at the bottom with 2 of them underground and the roost is over 6ft in the air. so far, we've been lucky and haven't had any "break ins" It would make me so sad to find that any of my chickies had been harmed. I might use some welded wire fencing like they have at farm supply stores with the chicken wire ontop of that, surely no coon could rip through that! Anyway good luck with Cookie! Hope to see a new post soon!

Tanya

 

[Barry1963]

way to go HenMomma !!! I doubt she'd have gotten this far without you, Stay after those coons, reinforce the run and lock those ladies up at night. Glad to hear she's pulling through.

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
Hubby bought a heavy guage chicken mesh and it's only been up for a few months. He installed it to replace the old, thin, and starting to rust stuff. Coon came through the wire on the top of the run part. He also pulled down and dragged all over the place the hanging feeder that we feed the laying crumbles in.

I couldn't believe the mess! Feeder in pieces, chunks of feathers everywhere. I think Cookie was in the fight of her life and fought good and hard. From the looks of it, she ran all over the place before he got her. I wish I had just run straight out there now instead of waiting for DH and the gun.

I was scared though - there is a bobcat spotted around lately too :-(

I don't know if I'd confront a hyped up coon without some kind of equalizer in my hands, they can be viscious. You did good by waiting on your husband to return with the gun.

I know I'm asking a lot of questions but I'm just trying to figure out your setup. Did the coon tear into the run or the coop?

Ed