Raccoons, Capsicum, Ducks, Oh MY!

[Torbsie]

Hi gang,

So a week ago we lost three chickens to a mystery in the yard at roughly 8 AM. We were letting our chickens and ducks free range in the yard. My wife and some kids were home inside doing some school work when they heard the ladies carrying on. My wife looked out the window to see a few just sitting there looking around. When she finally went out sure enough three feather piles an injured chicken and three missing. Needless to say she cooped up the remaining birds.

We have a small flock of chickens, now 9 chickens, 4 ducks and one lonely baby chick (only one to hatch). Anyways after that loss we have been on high alert and two days ago noticed a raccoon at roughly 7:30 PM (daylight) next to the property eyeing up like they were planning to raid the place. We tried to just walk near it to scare it back and it wasn't too worried about my presence. I don't think it was rabid at all or dealing with distemper, it just wasn't afraid of humans

Well we have been carefully locking up our birds at night. I noticed some apparent digging near the duck house door yesterday morning, wasn't positive as I wasn't sure if it wasn't the ducks looking for food the day before. As I put them in last night I put a large concrete block in front of the door. This morning as I went out, the ducks were out of their house! What?!?! Then I noticed somehow the roof was pulled off their nesting box. We know the raccoon was in the yard as he raided our empty bird feeder banging it around in the process (we saw it). I am thinking it wanted the duck food so it took the lid off the nesting box.

I think we are in trouble now. This raccoon has learned there is an easy free meal at our location. I fear if I try to make the house and coops more raccoon proof eventually I will lose. I would prefer deterring the bugger from wanting anything to do with us. I know people use capsciacin (thinking dry powder) to add to bird feeders to keep them out. I wonder if I did the same with Chicken and Duck food if it would work. I just wonder if that will not harm chickens and ducks like bird feeders or not.

I am a "hunter" (not a very active one) so I do have access to more lethal methods, just don't want to go firing off guns in the early morning or late night hours. Also in my state we need to first try to get rid of them through non lethal means first.

Thoughts?!

 

[MROO]

Raccoons are smart. Powder in the food will just keep it out of your feeders - and direct the critter back to your birds and their eggs. Electric fence is your friend!

 

[Torbsie]

Raccoons are smart. Powder in the food will just keep it out of your feeders - and direct the critter back to your birds and their eggs. Electric fence is your friend!

I'm not good with fencing so far. My fences are condemned the day I put them up, LOL. Anyhow I'd appreciate some advice on the fences to use. I have seen some in use that look pretty easy to setup, but don't know where to get them without mortgaging the farm

 

[Ruralhideaway]

If so far they've only eaten food you've been lucky. I doubt that will hold. They'll eat the birds soon enough if their housing is weak enough to remove the roof.

 

[MROO]

I'm not good with fencing so far.

While a sturdy fence is best, a single line of electric wire is also a deterrent while you upgrade the main fencing. Talk to your local farm and feed store. They'll get you set up without having to sell the farm. And while you're at it, fix that roof!
Check your wire, too. Classic chicken wire is designed to keep poultry in, not to keep predators out. The wiring isn't welded, so a determined coon (or dog, or fox, or child!) can work a bigger hole in your fence or coop wall. You really need hardware cloth or sturdy rabbit fencing.

 

[Torbsie]

While a sturdy fence is best, a single line of electric wire is also a deterrent while you upgrade the main fencing. Talk to your local farm and feed store. They'll get you set up without having to sell the farm. And while you're at it, fix that roof!
Check your wire, too. Classic chicken wire is designed to keep poultry in, not to keep predators out. The wiring isn't welded, so a determined coon (or dog, or fox, or child!) can work a bigger hole in your fence or coop wall. You really need hardware cloth or sturdy rabbit fencing.

Oh it's worse than that. I think a sturdy wind will get through my homemade chicken run. The other is a TS prebuilt that does seem to have hardware clothe with small 1/4" squares, but no solid floor. A digger can get under that for sure. The duck pen is like 2-3" square with no roof so the coon just climbed that to get into where the house is. The nesting box roof was meant to be removable. I didn't put any latches or hinges on it. Now that will change. I think because the coon is getting such an easy meal it hasn't bothered to go after the birds yet.

 

[MROO]

Try an apron around the outside of your fence, too. We have some pretty big dogs around here, so I didn't trust buried wire. I had four bags of pre-mixed concrete left over from anther project, so got creative. I dug a trench all the way around my run (with the coop inside it) and filled it in with the dry concrete mix. Then I added water and used a hoe to mix the mess right in the trench. Once it set for a few days, I covered it over with the soil I dug away.
I plan (in all that spare time I have!) to add a row of landscape timbers, a bit more soil and the flat of marigolds that is currently drying out on my front porch. Guess I should get moving on that last part, ya think?

 

[Northern.Ontario]

A perimeter of electric poultry fencing will keep the predators out. Hook it up to a large energizer and an 8,000-10,000 volt shock will keep anything from coming back.

https://am.gallagher.com/en-ca/product/3159/poultry-netting

 

[Torbsie]

OK story continues today.
Yesterday didn't have the time to put up an electric fence yet, so just made sure to lock up coops and duck house tight with cinder blocks. That part worked fine, even found where the raccoon was try to pull apart the wood where there is some ventilation and failed.

However this morning while at work I got a mysterious text from the wife and then followed by a phone call. Our dog got in a fight with the raccoon at about 8 AM this morning. The raccoon didn't survive, luckily my wife got a hold of my father in-law who came over and whacked the raccoon with a shovel giving the dog the upper hand to finish off the raccoon.

Now vet trip for the dog and animal control to test the coon. This will not be a fun day. Hopefully our raccoon friend was the only one and we can be done with that part though.

 

[MROO]

Hopefully our raccoon friend was the only one and we can be done with that part though.

Don't count on it! Coons are smart little buggers. If one figured out where the restaurant is located, another will eventually figure it out, as well. At least this gives you some time to figure out the electric fence issue.
Oh - and this may not be a "fun" day, but the alternative - walking out to a coop full of dead chickens - could have been much worse.
Kudos to your dog! And fingers crossed for a negative result on the coon.