Raccoon killed 2 hens

[Jv0000]

First night we found a headless chicken. Didn't know what did it. Second night we heard the death cry of another hen. I went out at 2 am and found two coons helping each other get into the coop. They didn't care that I was there. I beat them away with a broom and spread ammonia and left a old tshirt soaked in ammonia. Also put a motion light in and they haven't returned. I have a .22 and crossbow by the back door waiting just in case.

 

[ourFRUGALfarm]

Coon can be a real problem. They can be tough to scare or scare off. They will even dare lights and get in trash cans up on a porch. What is your hen house built like? I remember I once had a coon trying to get into one of my chicken tractors. It was built with normal chicken wire but the coon still got in. I then used chain link but I had a hen sleeping near the edge of the chicken tractor and a coon actually ripped her leg off. I again redesigned my chicken tractor this time using rabbit wire or what is also called hardware cloth on all the sides and the bottom. It works but has its own draw backs. I like using rabbit wire the most. I also set some live traps and that caught my guilty coons. They are tough to beat but you just have to slowly reason it through. I hope that helps some. If you give us an idea of your set up and environment I am sure that we can help you work through this problem. ourFRUGALfarm.com

 

[Coop Deville]

Raccoons are my biggest problem. Ditto what Frugal said about raccoons pulling what they can reach on the chicken through the fence. I lost my best Welsummer hen when a raccoon climbed on top of the coop, reached in through a 1" gap in the wire siding, and tried to pull her out by the head. I arrived and scared it off before she was decapitated, but she never recovered from the shock. Happy hunting. No sympathy for raccoons here.

 

[bmoe]

Raccoons will keep coming back to an easy meal, sometimes weeks and months apart after you've dropped your gaurd. I perimeter trap with live traps around my two acres weekly to see what chicken predators are cruising around at any given time. I find coons will flip traps to get the bait out, or the whole trap is tore up 10 feet away from where it was left. I rebait and stake down the traps and usually catchem in a week. The best racoon deturent I've found is electricity for my chicken tractors.

 

[blucoondawg]

I've found covering the live trap with brush from the immediate area works best for me when live trapping coon otherwise they can be leary of going into the cage to get the bait, I try to completely cover the cage only leaving an opening on the end of the trap where the door is, I assume this makes the coon feel safer like it is going into some sort of cubby. I have also used different baits but found canned tuna fish to be the best even better than sardines, must smell more.

 

[REDNECK TRAPPER]

Use foot hold traps because they are more effective and a lot cheaper. Coons are suspicious around live traps.

 

[blucoondawg]

Some people don't know how to make effective sets with legholds also many would rather not chance catching their dog in the leghold. This is why people prefer live traps or coon cuffs. I have caught tons of coon in live traps just have to know what you are doing

 

[REDNECK TRAPPER]

Just keep your dog locked up . Just put the trap on a nice coon trail. It's easy

 

[rottnwarrior]

Cut an apple in half and wipe down the live trap with it once you set it. I built a homemade wood and hardware cloth box trap. I bait it with jelly usually and wipe it with an apple. It seems to work pretty good.