Raccoon getting chickens during the day and hour before

[ValerieJ]

Hi!Welcome to BYC. I wouldn't free range my chickens for this reason. Build a large enough run for them to be free but safe. Really, unless you are going to shoot every woodland creature, you will always have predators. I am in the camp of securing the chickens rather than killing all the animals. We have an imbalance in our eco system right now in my area, so I'm having to deal with this too this year. And it is definitely illegal to shoot some of our predators. So, we are working on ways to secure our chickens, while maintaining their very large run. (App 4000 SF for 9 chickens).

 

[fldiver97]

Welcome! Sorry about your losses and predator problem!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Understood, but a trap can be there even when you are not. And although it may be illegal to release in your location, it isn't everywhere. It just isn't wise. Finally, not everyone has a gun and shooting it is illegal in certain locations.
In the end, the solution has to take into account the specific situation. Not everyone can handle it the same.

Mainly I'm saying a trap with no thought in mind of what to do after you're successful is not a good approach. I made that mistake before. If you are going to have one or the other, go for the gun if you're a decent shot. A high powered air rifle suffices with these https://www.pyramydair.com/s/p/Pred...2_Cal_Pellets_15_75_Grains_Pointed_200ct/1199 I used them to put down sick or injured chickens, too, before I got brave enough to use the hatchet. You're right that a trap is very useful. I keep game cameras up and check the pictures a few times a week. If I see something is lurking several nights then I put the trap out and get rid of them.

I'm not sure where it ISN'T illegal, I just say "its illegal almost everywhere" to cover my butt. Disease risk, not nuisance, is the main reason for not trapping and releasing animals that are high-risk for transmitting rabies.

 

[HotSauce1271]

Not sure if this will help, but it works great for me. Haven't lost one yet. I keep a radio outside of my coops. Put it on a talk show of some sort to give the impression humans are around. I live in the sticks, and see predators on a daily basis. It has worked for over a year for me so may be worth a try. Sorry for your loss, and best of luck with a solution.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC - sorry for what you are dealing with. Hav A Hart type live trap or Duke dogproof trap, then SSS = shoot, shovel, shut up. Good luck.

 

[cmom]

Sorry about you loss. I'm lucky, so far I have not had a coon get any of my birds but have seen them around. Here it's mostly coyotes with the occasional fox, bobcat, dogs, cats, possums, owls, hawks. I have lost birds in the past. Everything likes chicken. I had a fox problem not to long ago. I set up some live traps. I baited them and let the fox get used to taking the bait and then I set the trap and caught it. This fox was out during the day when here most of the predators hunt at night and killed a very special bird during the middle of the day. I have several game cameras on my property and hardly a night goes by when I don't get a predator on one of the cameras. I don't free range anymore unless I'm out with the birds, but they have very large pens. I have electric wire around my coops and pens, concrete under the gates and a heavy duty netting covering all of the pens. All was done because of losses in the past.
A visitor last night behind some of the coops.

 

[cottontail farm]

It sounds like you need a dog and/or a gun

Congratulations SunHwaKwon, you just wrote yourself a country music song.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

https://www.flemingtraps.com/dp-coon-traps.html

 

[Echilde]

Not sure if this will help, but it works great for me. Haven't lost one yet. I keep a radio outside of my coops. Put it on a talk show of some sort to give the impression humans are around. I live in the sticks, and see predators on a daily basis. It has worked for over a year for me so may be worth a try. Sorry for your loss, and best of luck with a solution.

I recently did the same. An old farmer told me about it at the feed store. It seems to have worked, so far.

 

[clembone]

Raccoon is tasty. Cleaned, rubbed with plain salt and pepper, baked at 325 degrees until tender over a rack of carrot and celery sticks. Even the picky eaters at my work come back for seconds. "Tastes just like turkey thigh" they say, and dig in for more. The great big old ones are too tough for eating. [I have heard that they do well ground up, but I never tried it.] This challenge to the flock could be an opportunity to try out a new recipe.