Raccoon problem

[hotmessJess]

That would all be well and good but I fear that you are overlooking an important part of Raccoon behavior. Like the bison, Raccoons live in large groups. Coons are more like Icebergs than an iceberg, 90% of the coons in your location (or in anyone else's location for that matter) is out of sight. In wild life management there is a term called "Carrying Capacity." An animal species will reproduce or colonize an area until the available food is consumed and all the good nesting locations are occupied. Removing an individual coon makes room in the environment for another coon but it also lessens completion from the remaining coons for natural raccoon food. Besides coons are a serious danger of harboring dangerous parasites and serious diseases. Here is a small example of the type of coon population that a little food will bring to your chicken coop. They like Cheetos too.

Most of this is incorrect, and that video shows an atypical gaze, that probably feeds exclusively by the generosity of humans, and for many generations. Males live in small groups of about 4. Females live in similar groups with their kits. The raccoons have a cat food buffet and warm place to sleep right next door, as it has been for years, and we're not overrun, because that's not how it works. This raccoon probably wandered over here because the frost last week and heavy rain killed the bugs and dropped the nuts early, so lower fat wasn't cutting it. We're only about 6-8 weeks out from their low activity here, so that's how long I'd be offering them fast trimmings and fish skins if I did try it as a desperate measure. That would hardly create a stir in the local population or make them dependent. Their diets aren't high in chicken heads, but they probably need the fat. But that's why I wanted to be sure they aren't sport killers. I came here to ask about the gadgets for keeping them from the coop because I KNOW the two mentioned methods are only bandaid effective! As for this harbinger of disease, well, my water is filtered, my mammal pets are rabies vaccinated,and we are hand washers. Roundworm from raccoon is very rare. Lepto and salmonella can be avoided with basic sanitation. Giardia, well, we aren't drinking from our creek. I'm not at all worried. These things don't feel like a significant threat (it's actually my field), because numbers tell me my neighbors and even you are a bigger threat to my health than a raccoon. My chickens are locked up at night, but I may give a strobe gizmo a go (I know that would scare the dickens out of me if it was hooked to my fridge while I was looking for a midnight snack! ). Thanks for the idea, mutt farm!

 

[Trefoil]

First , the only true solution is to lock your chickens up at night in a secure coop or pen. It really isn't that hard. Don't use chicken wire. Second, and this is only my experience. I've had pet coons all my life and don't have what it takes to kill them for being what they are. Even worse, this summer I noticed that a young coon had made his (her?) home under my deck. While I secure most of my poultry, I do have some that stay around my deck and are free. So anyway, feeling sorry for the baby, I started feeding him on my deck at night. He isn't tame at all and runs if he sees me. I just saw him & of course now he's huge. The chickens & geese make a ruckus when they see him at night but so far he hasn't gone after any of them.
I think it might work to feed your coon away from your poultry, just don't give huge amounts that will feed more than one coon. Coons are usually solitary and only congregate where there is a lot of food.

 

[tmarsh83]

I cannot think of a worse possible idea than habituating a predator to receiving food anywhere near my property.

I want my property to be a barren wasteland to coons Hawks coyotes etc.

If you give a mouse a cookie...

 

[hotmessJess]

Tmarsh83,they already have access to food here, not of my doing. And the chickens are alluring food should they find the rest unpalatable. So that bridge has been crossed.

Trefoil,I've done my very best to secure them. The hardwire is screwed in over even the tiniest gaps and the latches seem tough, but I've seen them do amazing things. I don't have the heart to kill him either. I've rehabbed all the critters and know they're not evil. Thanks for commenting.