Raccoon help! Please help settle an argument with my husband

[centrarchid]

I have a lot of pens of chickens over a lot of years. Many of the pens past and present are not coon proof, while others are coon proof. I have killed many raccoons over the years, many, so have a handle on the cost in terms of time and resources involved. I have also had raccoons as pets while in my youth while keeping chickens. Both raccoons and chickens were free-range. The raccoons were always trying to get feed, eggs or chickens when not doing honest foraging in woods and along creeks which gave insight into what raccoons can and cannot do. Raccoons are not invincible even though very strong and smart, comparable to a five year old human with a crowbar.

If protecting only a single structure full of chickens, then I would effort to be a responsible environmental steward and work on that pen / coop to make it more raccoon resistant. It will require less effort than trapping / shooting every raccoon that comes trying to burgle you. Lazy butt syndrome can be pointed at from two directions on this. Besides, killing the raccoon (I bet there is more than one visiting you each night) is taking away from your neighbors that either enjoy wildlife or have too many poorly protected chickens.

Your husband is closer to right on this one, but work on your keep.

 

[True Patriot]

You can't stand guard 24/7 over your flock. Sooner or later the predators will come. Building the coop as "bombproof" as you can will give you a measure of protection when you don't see the predator coming. And should definitely be the first choice. Personally, I think it's too high of a risk knowing the predator is there and not taking direct action to prevent an attack. The best defense in the world will eventually be breached with enough time and opportunity.

 

[nightowl223]

Get rid of it, quickly! And be prepared to get rid of a lot more - where there's one, there's dozens. And once one discovers there's a way to grab hold of one, even if it can't pull it through, they will ALL come. I had to remove literally dozens of them, because they emptied out 3 coops that we could have SWORN were coon-proof, and I held my absolutely favorite bird, a beautiful little Frizzled Banty Cochin hen (that was the best mother around!), as she died from the horrific wounds those *bleeping bleeps* left her with. I spent hours every night outside, protecting my remaining two coops, having those murderous *bleeping bleeps* coming in from all directions, working at every single seam or corner or wire pen covering until they could get in to get more! They can even climb nearby trees and jump down to the center of a pen covering and work on seams there, too!

Get RID of it! They are EVIL!

They will absolutely wipe you out if they can. Your only choice is to figure out how to wipe them out first.

 

[danceswithronin]

Just live trap it and either have animal control take it or dump it in the woods somewhere. I don't know why anyone's first impulse would be to kill something when it's almost just as easy to move it somewhere less dangerous for both parties. It hasn't done any harm yet so preemptively killing it is bad karma IMO, especially when "have a heart" traps are so readily available.

I definitely wouldn't let it hang around though. If you trap it too, the terrified racket it makes in the trap might also deter any other coons that are considering giving your yard a go.

 

[nightowl223]

Unless you live within a city limits, there will be no "animal control" that will come take care of your problem, and letting a troublesome animal loose somewhere else is just giving that trouble to your neighbor - and letting one loose in a conservation area is against the law in most places, too.

And it takes more than a little racket to deter a determined coon. You can have a radio blaring, or even record and replay the sounds of an angry one, and they won't even blink an eye. They don't care. Once they've made up their minds they're getting into your coop, they won't stop until they do, or until you stop them.

 

[centrarchid]

Some folks need to upgrade their carpentry skills.

 

[Howard E]

If you have done your part, you won't have to kill this or any other coon. Fortification can be done in such a way they can't get in. May not be cheap or easy, but it can and should be done.

I don't have any sympathy for the coon, his kids or his cousins.......but if you have one, you always have more in the queue to take their place. So killing varmints becomes a never ending quest, which will eventually fail and they get in to kill your birds.

So you fortify so they can't. I have coons around nightly........but they never kill anything and I never kill them. Personally, I've never lost a bird to a predator. They are around.....always. They come and go and yet all is well. I would kill one if need be.......have at my daughter's where the coons did get in. We killed them, fixed it so that others could not repeat and all has been well there since.

Dream on.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Just live trap it and either have animal control take it or dump it in the woods somewhere. I don't know why anyone's first impulse would be to kill something when it's almost just as easy to move it somewhere less dangerous for both parties. It hasn't done any harm yet so preemptively killing it is bad karma IMO, especially when "have a heart" traps are so readily available.

I definitely wouldn't let it hang around though. If you trap it too, the terrified racket it makes in the trap might also deter any other coons that are considering giving your yard a go.

Relocating, dumping it somewhere else really isn't a good option.

The reasons are.....

It will be lost, not know where water, food, dens are.

Other critters already live there and will defend their territory to the death.

They carry disease. Rabies is one thing they carry. It is unwise to open a trap with a coon in it. They can and often do come at whoever is opening it.

Not to mention you could be introducing diseases where none were prior.

Then there is whichever farm or ranch they target next if they survive that long.

Fortify the coop and run, add electric wire and keep an eye for signs of attempted break ins would be what I would do.

 

[happyfrenchman]

Racoon should not be able to get in the coop. Racoons can hold a convention outside my coop but they cannot get in. If that is the case for you too, your husband is correct. Killing it would serve no purpose.

 

[Folly's place]

I'd still be very concerned about any 'friendly' or not fearful, or obviously sick raccoons. Any like that need to be shot, and the DNR in your state may want the body for necropsy.
Mary