Raccoon trouble

[maremare86]

Hello all! I'm really new to this owning chicken thing! I started out with 5 beautiful americaunas until one morning I woke up to three gone with feathers everywhere and my other two scared out their minds. The other day ( still daylight around 6 pm) a raccoon was sneaking into my yard and husband yelled and it scampered away. It came back 15 minutes later! We hadn't seen it for awhile but again we spotted it in daylight today in my yard presumably trying to get my chicks! We called animal control and that hasn't gotten us anywhere yet. I'm at a loss. I worry so much I bring my girls in at night to the basement. Any tips on how to dissuade the raccoon? Thanks so much!

 

[N F C]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

I'm sorry for your losses, that's always very upsetting.

Can you describe your coop and run (or photos, those are helpful)? The raccoon has to be getting in somewhere since you found the attack happened sometime before you woke up. Coons are smart and they are good about finding ways in.

Here's some info on the Learning Center about raccoon, there may be information there that will help:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/raccoon-chicken-predators-how-to-protect-your-chickens-from-coons

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Hello all! I'm really new to this owning chicken thing! I started out with 5 beautiful americaunas until one morning I woke up to three gone with feathers everywhere and my other two scared out their minds. The other day ( still daylight around 6 pm) a raccoon was sneaking into my yard and husband yelled and it scampered away. It came back 15 minutes later! We hadn't seen it for awhile but again we spotted it in daylight today in my yard presumably trying to get my chicks! We called animal control and that hasn't gotten us anywhere yet. I'm at a loss. I worry so much I bring my girls in at night to the basement. Any tips on how to dissuade the raccoon? Thanks so much!

I think that something other than a raccoon made off with your first 3 birds. Raccoons seldom carry chickens away from the scene of the crime. Coons live in lose flocks much like chickens do, so if you see one coon slinking around there may be 25 or more coons living in the neighborhood.