Raccoons, Possums and Snapping Turtles

[rlephoto]

The past few days we've trapped and relocated 2 adult raccoons. Last night at 10pm found a possum out by the coop, getting in the compost bin next to them. Left it to its own. 2:30am this morning heard strange calls coming from the coop and compost bins. Went out at 3am and found 2 teenage raccoons, offspring from the adults we caught. They were really mad and making a lot of noise one was on the other side of a fence hissing and lounging at me. Went back inside and went out the back door to check one the goings on. Found a 12 inch snapping turtle in the flower bed inside the fenced in yard! By now the teenage raccoon left screaming and hissing towards the front yard.

Went to work the morning and opened the paddock to the chicken pen so the chickens could play and forage in the yard and return back to the coop. Then I get a photo text at 9am from the wife telling me the snapping turtle in now trapped in the chicken yard. She made sure the chickens could not get close to the turtle by barricading him off. Got home at 2pm and picked up the snapper by the tail and set him in the woods.

So our chickens suffered no real problems but we have to make sure it stays that way. Not sure what to expect tonight.

Cheers,
Randy

 

[Chicks Galore3]

Wow, you've had quite the excitement! In my over a year of chicken keeping, I have had NO predators. No coons, possums, skunks, foxes hawks. Nothing. I am beginning to be very paranoid.