Raccoon got us last night....

[TexasJoe]

My best friend's B. Australorp was killed by a dirty coon this week. He walked out to see Boss Bocks the Rooster biting the coon in the tail while the coon continued to try to grab at the hens. It turned it's attention on Boss Bocks right as my friend (Chris) was walking out with a shotgun. Knowing that Mr. Bocks was already a goner (huge gash to throat), Chris put the shotgun 1 foot from the pile of Coon & Bocks and turned it into confetti. I hate raccoons with a passion, only because they constantly harass my flock. Trapping and killing is the only true way to solve the problem. Coon skin hat, anyone?

 

[Poohbear]

Live catch traps baited with sardines, Honeybuns or peanut butter will catch them. Keep setting two traps each night. Check them each morning in case you catch a chicken. Check your local laws on pedators, trapping them in live catch "HavaHart" traps and disposition of trapped predators. Some states allow you to kill, relocate or turn them in to the SPCA. Some allow none of the three. Your local game warden can tell you which options you have. They are listed under "GOVERNMENT" in the phone book. Stay legal but keep your animals safe. They depend on you. There are many predators here it Texas. It is almost a constant battle to keep my fowl safe.

 

[CandleMom]

I love you guys!

I live in the big city, so using guns is not allowed. BUT I can use a pellet gun for a deterent which I bought tonight. We have an ongoing rat problem because of the chickens, so that gun will serve a couple of purposes.

It is dark, and I have had to work all day, so tomorrow I will get some pics going. I think several of you are right, I am wondering if he got in through the top somehow. My hubbie said when the dog was going at him, he wasn't trying to run low, but instead climb up the side of the coop to get out. I am thinking he has a hole I don't know about. I have to admit, I didn't think it was penetrable.

I promise I'll get some pics going. Right off the bat, I know you'll tell me to change from chicken wire to galvanized wire. That is on the list of things to do right away, no worries. But after that, I am not sure.

Also, yes, we need to add an extra locking latch of some sort to the nesting enclosure at night. I know they can work latches. Between the coons and the rats I tell ya!

Ummm....Lizzie. She is still resting well in her box in my room. Honestly I just felt this morning that she was about to just plop dead from stress so I haven't handled her. My hubbie checked on her all day and she has been fine. Tomorrow the rubber gloves go on and she is getting cleaned up with lots of peroxide and neosporin.

 

[silkiechicken]

All coon dispatches here are with either a .177 or .22 pellet air rifle with pointed tips. Unless at point blank, the hollow point air rifle rounds just don't quite get the penetration to get the job done here. But, these are AIR rifles, so that probably makes a difference. My brother has taken out two with the 1000 fps air rifle with a single shot to the forehead when the coon looked up towards him at about 100-200 feet away. These pellet guns aren't the 29.99 red ryder daisy types, so if you do go air rifle route, get a nice one and it can be as deadly as a "real" gun.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Sorry for your loss.

We lost our very favorite chicken 2 years ago to our first coon attack and then lost our only duck and a hen to an attack a month ago (a gang of 4 coons were in the coop).

I really don't like coons!!

We're in the city too and also feel like our coop is fort knox. The times they got in was due to our neglect not closing the coop door in time, which is why I finally build the auto coop door. Well, your post helps remind us all not to have a false sense of security, especially around these smart, strong and crafty critters.

 

[CandleMom]

Well so far it isn't a loss....let's cross our fingers.

Okay, I couldn't wait. I wanted to try and clean her up and really assess her before going to bed. Here is what I found:

1) Even after a day of doing nothing but sit in a box, she is very lethargic and nodding off in my arms. Does this mean anything? Is she nodding off to sleep because it's night time or is she dying?

2) Lots of crusty wounds around the head, yet nothing too deep. I have put her in the bathtub and dripped warm water on them to loosen up the crusty blood. Also peroxied those and will neosporin before bed.

3) Above her right wing between the fold of her wing and her beak, she has a really puffed up spot, yet no wound. Is this a bruise of some kind? She seems to kind of favor that side, yet can walk and flap. Several feathers are missing from that area and I am wondering if it's just inflamed. Maybe?

4) As I was peroxiding her wounds, she was cooing at me. Not in her sweet way, but in a whining sad way. Broke my heart!

Lord knows this city girl has never nursed an injured animal. I am so out of my element!

 

[eeiko321]

i think u should buy a humane trap...
catch the racoon and get rid of it.
thats the best soloution

im glad in australia we dont have racoons + bobcats & coyotes etc

 

[CandleMom]

Found it! In one of the corners where the wire goes around the corner, there is a softball sized hole. That can be the ONLY way. There is no damage or holes to the roof at all. There is no way a critter can in through the roof of this coop.

So, the plan:

Get galvanized wire and redo the coop with it. Counter sink it 10 or so inches into the ground, and turn it up at a 45 degree angle at the counter sunk level. Fill with river rock and cover with soil.

Why? To keep the chickens from digging holes that help the raccoons and rats.

ALSO, talked to my dad about rodents. He was an Illinois state champion 4H mouse killer back in his day. He grew up to be a decorated military officer. Now, he's retired but still knows his ammo when it comes to rodents. Told him what happened and what weaponry I have. He was impressed that I got a pellet gun with a scope. Tee hee!

He gave this nice piece of advice:

A 22 is the best. But he understands that I live in the city and technically can't shoot them. BUT, he says if you can find bb caps, they are half the length of regular ammo for a 22 and are lethal to a raccoon at 50 feet AND they are silent when shot with a 22. So you could use them in the city, with EXTREME caution at what is behind what you are shooting at, without setting off alarms.

I am not sure if we are at the lethal level yet. At this point, I have pointy pellets to kill rats and deter raccoons. If need be, I have a lethal way to get rid of the raccoons if they can't take the hint. I am kind of excited to think from the back window of my house, I can pick off a rat and piss off a raccoon. Hee hee!

 

[CandleMom]

Okay, here was Lizzie after we brought her inside a few days ago just after the initial attack.

Here is Lizzie this morning. Yes in the second picture, that is her perched on my hand very relaxed.

Please note her tail and head are up. She is definitely perking up. Thank you so much to all of you who gave me such great chicken first aid advice. The worst laceration is on the back of her head, and it is deep. It almost looks like a bite mark. It is doing so much better. It is actually where that little feather on the back of her head is poking up. That feather is SO saturated in blood I can't get it all out without the wound bleeding again. So I am leaving that there for now, and putting lots of neosporin on that spot.

So far, after the first two night since this happened, there has been no sighting of the coon, and that doesn't mean a thing. But our other two ladies have been locked up tight at night. I have let the dog out often, and she is definitely smelling something. So we are vigilant and working on making sure the coop is secure.

Thanks so much!