Raccoon problem... HOW DO I GET RID OF THIS HORRIBLE CREATURE.

[Yard full o' rocks]

If you have a Tractor Supply nearby, they carry them. Any similar store I would think would have them too

Just make sure you get one LARGE enough

Coons can be really big

 

[XilverAngel]

Quote:
The first time it was our fault, we did not close the coop in time, and it got to the hens from the the run. Today, it managed to unlatch the main door and got a pullet from there. Our main door is basically a large panel of wood that is hinged on one side and has two latches, one on top, one on the bottom (these latches are on the left side, our door is hinged to the coop on the right side). The top latch is more sophisticated that the lower, it's hard to describe, so I can possibly post a picture if desired. But the animal managed to unlatch this door and grab a pullet from that opening.

What do you mean by hot wire?

 

[XilverAngel]

Yard full o' rocks :

If you have a Tractor Supply nearby, they carry them. Any similar store I would think would have them too

Just make sure you get one LARGE enough

Coons can be really big

Agreed, I managed to catch a glimpse of this fella the day before and he is quite large; saw him twice again (once yesterday night when it was in the run, and second time today at 4 am when it decided that chicken feed was not satisfying enough)
Hopefully I can get that trap and stop this thing from coming back! Thanks again for the help!​

 

[citychickx6]

At the farm supply stores they carry hot boxes for cattle and dogs the one for dogs is lower voltage and basically it zaps them if they touch it. You will need electricity to the area and a copper grounding stake.
I will try to find a link to info on one.

http://www.amazon.com/Fi-Shock-SS-725CS-Powered-Light-Duty-Electric/dp/B000HHO9EE

This is what I have in mind that would work well IMO.

I have one to keep my dog from climbing the fence to get out. Works well for him and is non deadly.

 

[ScioValley]

We had a small five bird coop as a starter. By chance one eve I looked out in the full moon light and counted 8 coons crawling all over it. After that we'd live
trap them using after-dinner bird carcasses. I catch one every time....actually caught 3 at once. I eliminate them considering their over-population. More destructive was a little mink that took down 3 full grown birds in a matter of a couple of minutes....ravenous little critters, I had no idea how destructive they can be.

 

[XilverAngel]

@citychickx oh wow, that would be quite useful, the only problem is getting electricity to it, and setting it up then. I think that will be the long term solution, for now I will talk with my parents regarding a live trap and dispatching this raccoon as soon as possible. Thank you for all the help though! And I will definitely look up hot wiring to see how it's done! Thanks again!

 

[XilverAngel]

Quote:
Oh my goodness 8 at once?! Thank God we are only faced with 1 at the moment, hopefully it stays just one (or zero once we catch it!). That is definitely frightening, and I couldn't agree more with you; after seeing what this raccoon did to my pullet the day before, I am completely horrified and disgusted by their nature.

 

[roxyblue]

they will not give up untill they find a way to get ALL of your chickens. We borrowd a live trap and caught an opposum and two raccoons.
good luck!
-Roxy

 

[getteedoff]

I do trap and dispose, but I gotta say: you will never be able trap all of the predators that are interested in unprotected chickens. Spend your money, time and effort fortifying their coop so the hens have a safe place to roost at night. As long as there is an easy meal you will see a steady stream of raccoons, oppossums, foxes and coyotes.

 

[bobbi-j]

There are electric fencers that are solar-powered and some that can be run off a car battery. Raccoons are persistent. You won't be able to "scare" it away, but electric fencing will discourage them. We put some around our sweet corn patch and it was effective in keeping them and the deer out. Also, please don't just try to injure it to try to make it go away and not come back. For one thing, it's cruel. If you're going to do something like that, just kill it. Also, I'm not sure how you would plan on doing so. You do NOT want to corner one. They're vicious. A raccoon can and will kill a full-grown big dog under the right circumstances.