Raccoon(s) killed my 4 chicks

[Dgrundy14]

A few weeks ago I went out to the coop to let out my 4 babies, and found them mutilated in the coop. My question is this...how do you ever get over this and try to raise more? I think I have figured out how they got in but I have gone through wanting to chop up the coop in little pieces to missing my babies and wishing I could get more. If I do get more after building Ft. Knox for them, Will I ever be able to sleep at night? I still wake up crying in the middle of the night thinking about what happened that night. Do I try again?? I need advice!

 

[sourland]

Look into electric fencing. Personally I would combine that with baited box traps and permanent removal of the predators. I stopped raising pigeons because of the federal laws against the control of raptors. I miss them on a daily basis. I look at my empty lofts and just shake my head.

 

[Millworker26]

A few weeks ago I went out to the coop to let out my 4 babies, and found them mutilated in the coop. My question is this...how do you ever get over this and try to raise more? I think I have figured out how they got in but I have gone through wanting to chop up the coop in little pieces to missing my babies and wishing I could get more. If I do get more after building Ft. Knox for them, Will I ever be able to sleep at night? I still wake up crying in the middle of the night thinking about what happened that night. Do I try again?? I need advice!

I have learned that raising chickens is much more challenging than I ever expected. I also learned that I really enjoy it and was willing to endure the growing pains. For me, continuously improving at the process, while learning to respect and defend against predators, is a wonderful learning experience.

Don't give up. Improve your setup. Try again. Learn from your mistakes.

 

[Folly's place]

After many disasters, building a Ft. Knox coop and run has been worth every dime spent! When the bears arrive I'll add electric fencing too. Most of us have learned the very hard way that everyone loves chicken, and improved our skills over time. Having the birds is worth it! Mary