Raccoon visiting to steal feed

[BYC910]

Every raccoon situation is different, but I've learned to feed them in the woods (they love dry dogfood) before they get to my pen (I know, you're not supposed to feed wildlife but conclude if I don't they're more likely to go after a bird). They also come during the day for feed while the birds are out of the house or free-ranging, but have never shown an interest in a chicken if there's other food available. I'm meticulous about personally counting & locking the birds up at night as opossums are worse than raccoons. So far, of 10 birds I have never lost one to a raccoon, but have lost 5 to hawks. I know of no cure for raccoons since when one is taken care of more move in, so rather than fight them I've found it easier to co-exist by giving them what they want. Important, however, to know when one is rabid & to avoid, or dispose, of those, but in 7 years of chickens I've never had a rabid raccoon.

I'd have to walk a mile or more .Any closer than at and the goats and wild birds would eat the dog food . Great Pyrenees dogs have solved pretty much all my predator problems . Finest thing in the world to see them chase a buzzard or hawk across the field . My neighbor will put his dead cows close to our fence and cover them with brush . My dogs bring them home one piece at a time The longer I have the dogs the more impressed I am with them. I swear they won't hurt a living thing . However anything dead is fair game . Wife commented the other day how she hadn't heard the coyote packs howl as much . Seems like they have moved further away from our place since the dogs came here .I have a friend who lives five miles away as the crow flies . He is at his wits end . Get chickens something kills them . Now something is killing his calves.I figure its coyotes Hoping to take him some cable snares and show him how to set a snare trap. To wait a year for a calf and have varmints kill it . Well it just isn't an easy thing to take . I'm a diehard try to make a profit farmer , so is he . I've been dealing with loose dogs and foxes and now coyotes . Coons and possums even skunks that can wipeout a beehive in no time at all .Just eat the bees when they come out Some of us my seem hard on the subject of predators. If you ever found one of your goats, where coyotes have run it into a fence and ripped it's belly open. Or clean up after a coon has beheaded a whole cage full of nice young pullets . Well it just makes you have a different attitude about varmints .I hate killing even what needs killing . Once they get a taste for fresh blood . There just isn't any other way .

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Woke up this morning to a christmas in june

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

I know the opinions differ on trapping, dispatching, and flock protection- but I do want to say that if you see them around Winter/trapping season, always consider giving tanning a try like I mentioned. It brings use to the hide instead of just disposing of it. If you've never tanned before, it can be difficult to know how to properly flesh and clean (so alot of the time folks begin on squirrels, rabbits, etc). While protecting the flock, it also introduces you to a new skill. I am very fond of making little waste, so that's why I wanted to mention this in case you want to try and do the same.

We've never tanned before but we do intend to try it come hunting season. I like the idea of using the whole animal. It harbors more respect to its life

 

[8CityChicks]

I'd have to walk a mile or more .Any closer than at and the goats and wild birds would eat the dog food . Great Pyrenees dogs have solved pretty much all my predator problems . Finest thing in the world to see them chase a buzzard or hawk across the field . My neighbor will put his dead cows close to our fence and cover them with brush . My dogs bring them home one piece at a time The longer I have the dogs the more impressed I am with them. I swear they won't hurt a living thing . However anything dead is fair game . Wife commented the other day how she hadn't heard the coyote packs howl as much . Seems like they have moved further away from our place since the dogs came here .I have a friend who lives five miles away as the crow flies . He is at his wits end . Get chickens something kills them . Now something is killing his calves.I figure its coyotes Hoping to take him some cable snares and show him how to set a snare trap. To wait a year for a calf and have varmints kill it . Well it just isn't an easy thing to take . I'm a diehard try to make a profit farmer , so is he . I've been dealing with loose dogs and foxes and now coyotes . Coons and possums even skunks that can wipeout a beehive in no time at all .Just eat the bees when they come out Some of us my seem hard on the subject of predators. If you ever found one of your goats, where coyotes have run it into a fence and ripped it's belly open. Or clean up after a coon has beheaded a whole cage full of nice young pullets . Well it just makes you have a different attitude about varmints .I hate killing even what needs killing . Once they get a taste for fresh blood . There just isn't any other way .

 

[8CityChicks]

I see your problem, but in my case the feeding away from the chickens makes sense. I put up a game camera to see how many came & had 13 raccoons at one time. Another night I looked over the fence & had nearly 20, so guessing that several females had just had litters. Like I said each situation is different. As for opossums, I had a baby one get through 2x4 inch wire & start plucking a bird on the roost. Had to use the shovel treatment on him, he played dead & got away before I could finish him. I covered the 2x4-inch wire with hardware cloth & have not had the problem since. My house has all openings covered in wire - top to bottom - as raccoons will climb, tear into, or do anything else to get to the birds if no other food distracts it.

 

[josie31655]

Got a raccoon coming by. Saw him 2 nights ago around 4 am hanging around. Caught him again last night around 11pm. I scared him off but I know he'll be back. He's not trying to get in the run but he is reaching through the wire and grabbing handfuls of chicken feed. I know this because he leaves a mess of feed just outside the wire. We have a live trap and I'd like to catch him. I'm not sure if the trap is big enough...hes a big coon. Very fat. He might have been doing this a while now and we just caught him. Need some advice on dealing with this pest. I worry he'll get sick of the feed and seek out my girls. He'd have to dig into the run (the wire is about 6 inches out in the ground so he'd have to be very diligent) and then lift the weighted coop door to get in. Since they're more likely to go for easy opportunities I doubt he'd try.

I've had problems with raccoons. They got quite a few of my chickens. I call my chicken house and run fort knox. So much wire and bars on the windows. Keep an eye on building at the bottom. It it gets soft they will tear it away until they have a hole big enough to get through.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Went to a pet shelter today and looked at a dog. Shes 5 years old, housebroken and knows to sit. Shes a border collie/ australian shepard mix. Really friendly and sweet. Both the SO and I really like her but we didnt want to take her today because they are closed tomorrow and we are worried about how she'd do with the chickens. We're hoping to have her as a guard dog. Anyone know if she would be a good fit based on this breed experience? We're planning on going back on tuesday to try her out. That way we also have a day to think about it

 

[aart]

A dog is a big responsibility, have you ever had one?
Training is essential and takes a lot of effort.
Those breeds can be temperamental and strong willed herders, need a firm owner.
Wonders how it ended up in a shelter?
Don't get a dog unless you want a dog as a pet,
not just because you have predator issues.
Good to have a fenced yard to contain the dog, and strong enclosures for your birds.

 

[Attila the Hen]

I have 2 mutts that do guard duty. They’ve done well overall. The most recent predator attack was a Neighbor’s Great Pyrenees which killed 2 birds. So far no problem with raccoons or possums although I’ve seen both. One possum sought refuge in the coop until I put him just outside the fence. Maybe Georgia possums are friendlier.....?

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

A dog is a big responsibility, have you ever had one?
Training is essential and takes a lot of effort.
Those breeds can be temperamental and strong willed herders, need a firm owner.
Wonders how it ended up in a shelter?
Don't get a dog unless you want a dog as a pet,
not just because you have predator issues.
Good to have a fenced yard to contain the dog, and strong enclosures for your birds.

We've both had dogs. I used to have big dogs growing up and he had terriers. We have a fenced in yard about 100x100 and 5 acres total. We plan to make the fence go out even more within the next year. We've talked about getting a family dog but havent done it yet. This was just kind of spur of the moment and timing. I only looked because I was thinking about a guard dog and there she was! I just want to be certain that the breed will work well with chickens. We get to do a 3 day trial before adoption. I just was wondering if anyone else had experience with these breeds and chicken interactions.