Raccoons help!

[junebuggena]

You don't necessarily need to put the wire underground. Just make sure it extends out on the ground about 2 feet and surround the perimeter with paving stones. It's just as effective, and is much simpler and quicker to do.
Locking them up might help, but keep in mind, if you can get a few fingers through, a raccoon can get a whole arm in. Anything it gets a hold of will be torn apart.

 

[ivan3]

okay. I rarely close it, and there are only six of them in the roomy shed, so I thought it was fine.

And, 11 years without a problem? Hard for complacency not to set in (most of those chickeneers in more rural landscapes only start to become confident before getting brought up short after a year, or so).

Call around and see if some local hardware store can direct you to a fencing supply company that will sell hardware cloth/1"x 2" welded wire fencing by the foot (won't have to eat cost of entire roll). If the coons get to the inner coop (with the hole in it) they can reach through - chooks will often panic and beat themselves to death even if coon can't actually grab them. Also, urban raccoons will adjust their schedules, on the fly, in order to get the meat (high noon!).

See if the local humane society will rent some live traps to you "gee, I'd like to catch that poor cat and bring it in to be spayed..." and, once you catch the offenders - well, out to the Pine Barrens with them (so to speak).

Put a cheapo baby monitor out with the chooks, as well. Lots of growling/whining? Go out slingshot the raccoons - that should hold them off for a day longer.

Good luck!

 

[NathanielJS]

Okay, working on all that. How should I cover up the hole and the gap from the door being warped?

 

[ivan3]

Okay, working on all that. How should I cover up the hole and the gap from the door being warped?

Just working from shot you posted above. Maybe one of these (don't know about the company - but a ratcheting tie down around the entire container, at night - should keep the container shut tight):
http://www.uscargocontrol.com/Van-Trailer-Products/E-Track-Straps-Tie-Downs

 

[NathanielJS]

So they're designed to shut very tight with one padlock, and I found that when I forced it into shaped to get the lock on it held the shape despite the warping. I piled bricks over the hole, patched up all gaps I found in the fence, piled rocks where the fence what not fully buried, and put out my jumbo Have-a-Hart with tuna and marshmallows for bate. Hope they'll be fine!
I'm supposed to go out of the city tomorrow, is it safe to leave my girls alone during the day?

 

[ivan3]

So they're designed to shut very tight with one padlock, and I found that when I forced it into shaped to get the lock on it held the shape despite the warping. I piled bricks over the hole, patched up all gaps I found in the fence, piled rocks where the fence what not fully buried, and put out my jumbo Have-a-Hart with tuna and marshmallows for bate. Hope they'll be fine!
I'm supposed to go out of the city tomorrow, is it safe to leave my girls alone during the day?

Wasn't sure about where the hole was - use a couple of concrete blocks rather than standard bricks. Hope you catch one tonight. Keep that trap set while you're gone (pref. nearest to location you think the raccoons enter the yard.), but I'd try to get home before dark.

 

[brad3126]

Hi the wire should be at least 12 inches underground and as long as the raccoons cant get in and chickens have venting chickens should be safe.

 

[bobbi-j]

I would not suggest trapping the raccoons. What are you going to do if you catch one? You probably can't kill it where you live, and "rehoming" them is illegal in many places. Not to mention that relocated animals often do not survive. They die due to starvation or injuries from fighting with the animals who's territory they've been dumped in. (Your squirrel trap isn't big enough to catch an adult raccoon anyway) You have Animal Control or some such thing there, don't you? Call them and ask them to deal with them. I would put the welded wire not only around the sides of the run, but also cover the top of it to keep critters from coming in that way.

 

[Brian Rinaldi]

Buy A Pellet Rifle No Less Than A .22 going 1000 FPS

One They Establish A Potential Food Sorce They'll Keep Coming Back!

 

[dmanhefner]

Trap racoon and then drop trap and all in trash can of water. No gun needed and no more coon.