Raccoon visit

[jim-22]

Heard a screaming racket from the coop last night around 11pm. A coon was inside the coop, just resting on the next box. Not afraid of me in the least. He did not touch the 10 RI reds in there. Maybe he was just too laid back and had enough food-- he opened up the feed can. Here is his picture, me on the outside and him inside.

 

[mrpekinduck]

Did you kill him?

 

[Capvin]

It looks like you have hardware cloth. So what I want to know is how a raccoon gets through hardware cloth?

 

[SteveBaz]

Holy smokes how did he get in?

 

[OvertheHenHouse]

Holy crud! How the heck did he get in, and how the heck did you get him out? I'd be glad he got the feed can and not the hens. Holy cow! And BTW, he looks waaaay to comfortable in there...

 

[jim-22]

I have windows (11 of them) on all four sides of my coop with hardware cloth on the inside. He cannot get in that way. However, I have a dirt floor (I knew I was vulnerable here, especially in one low corner, but went several months without a problem). He dug in that way. Interestingly, he did not need a big hole, only a couple of inches of vertical height. There was no easy way to get him out without a potential nasty confrontation because he was confined in a dark place. I decided to open the coop door and make a bunch of noise and shine a flashlight in his eyes. He still hung around for a half-hour or so, stretched out like he owned the place. Finally he left. Couple of things that could have helped me-- my perches are very high so he has to do some climbing to get the hens. Also I have a big-ass rooster which, although very friendly, I think would not go down without a fight. I was going to send him away but maybe now he should stay! So far he does not crow until a civilized hour. I don't mind him but I have to be considerate of my neighbors.

Yesterday afternoon I got a chance to inspect the place where the raccoon crawled in through the dirt. I closed that corner up good with hardware cloth. Last night he returned. I did not see or hear him (no noise from the chickens) but I saw the digging he did and the hardware cloth stopped him. Now I believe I will need to put hardware cloth around the whole perimeter of the coop.

BTW my birds free range all day. A couple of times I forgot to close the coop door-- you now how that goes-- and never had a problem. I think I was lucky. Now I need to be more careful.

 

[Bridgemoof]

A raccoon-chicken massacre can be an awful thing! It happened to me in a place where I thought my chickens were safe. They crawled in under the eaves where I didn't realize there was a gap. The really terrible thing was for the poor chickens who were still cooped up in there had to watch their friends get torn up. Poor chickies had no escape. They would never go back in that hen house. I had to make a new one!

I always think they are in a safe place now, but now I have to go check my floors because I know there are holes in the dirt already.

I'm so glad your chickens are safe Jim!

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:
Good Idea. I would of disposed of the bandit. I'd set a trap you never know when he will show up again. He might get them while their ranging I certainly hope not but you never know.

 

[OvertheHenHouse]

Hardware cloth rocks. I'm so glad your hens weren't attacked! And it's true what 7L Farm says - I've seen raccoons out during daylight hours so I don't believe your hens are safe freeranging while he's around...

 

[jim-22]

OK, I bought a trap today and I am setting it out tonight. Going to declare war on them.