Raccoon problems

[J3172]

Spring will be here soon, and with the spring weather it brings me spring raccoons. They are always coming around trying to get into my bird pens and causing damage. Sometimes they get lucky, sometimes they make their last mistake. I protect my birds the best I know how. But I have had them pull young birds through I kid you not 1"x 1/2" wire, they cheese grade them through. Is it my fault for enjoying birds and that's what bring them in, they being raccoons are just doing what come natural and if anything bad happens to my birds it's my fault? Or is the raccoon being too bold and making too big of mistakes? When you loose some of your flock do you blame yourself, or the predator for choosing the wrong birds to mess with?

 

[chickerdoodle]

I would definitely blame myself

. The raccoons are just being who they were made to be--crafty predators. I was told (repeatedly) that only 1/2 inch hardware cloth (or smaller) can prevent what you described. Some folks only do it the bottom 3 feet and the rest a larger size but ours will be completely done with it as it prevents rats from getting in the coop too. Hoping that makes them look elsewhere to live as no food for them to get. Its also critical to have locks on any doors of the coop that are tough for them to open as they can figure it out.

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
Personally , I think it would be a bit of both . In this area there is an abundance of raccoons ; you soon learn that if you grow sweetcorn or raise chickens you need a perimeter fence with an electric charge to prevent losses . That's not going to be fail safe , so thinning the population of the ones that get past the fence or wandering the perimeter making attempts to get in is actually helping keep the raccoon population in check which is needed now that fur hunters and trappers are pretty much nonexistant . Unless you have a population of even bigger predators keeping the 'coons in check , they are left to grow in numbers untill disease or famine thins them out ; so a little human intervention is actually the most humane thing that could happen IMO .

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Ditto that SteveH.

 

[J3172]

I also agree as I am a fur hunter and trapper once a coon show's up he usually doesn't leave, but I noticed that a lot of people on here blame themselves or the chickens owner and not the raccoon or other predator and I want to know why you think the wild animal is doing nothing wrong. Wild animals should fear man, I think the reason why they say it's not the raccoon's fault is because they think they are cute little animal. I see it this way, if a dog breaks into your coop/pen and kills your birds you blame the dog not the chickens or yourself so why not blame a raccoon for being too bold, lacking a fear of man that he should have. But I also think they're are two parties to blame when things like this happen.

 

[chickerdoodle]

Quote:
Actually I feel it's the dog's owner who is at fault for the loose dog getting into the chickens and the chicken owner's fault for not having a secure home for their chickens--so it is more than one person's fault in that case (unless they both have the same owner). I do not think raccoons are cute and cuddly as I helped euthanasize rabid ones the police brought into the veterinary hospital I worked at and they were NOT cuddly. The other reason I think it's our fault is humans have taken over huge areas of land for our homes and farms where much wildlife normally existed so there is a struggle for survival as the natural prey has left due to that loss of habitat. I do think that some opportunistic wildlife such as raccoons, coyotes (and rats too) are increasing in population as man has offered easy meals for them with small pets, chickens, and other docile livestock--all in one area. With man being in the same area they have associated these meals with our civilization so they are less fearful. It may or may not be the right thing to kill them--I believe it should be a case by case basis. I don't know of a magic way to end the struggle as both "sides" have reasons for being there. I just think since we are supposed to be the intelligent race we should be able to keep our charges safe. Mistakes will be made by us and the losers are unfortunately our dear chickens.