Raccoons-(serial killers) how have you resolved the problem?

[cafarmgirl]

Love the one of Gracie covered with dirt by the dust bathing hen!

I use dogs to help deter predators as well. But first and foremost I have made my coop Fort Knox. Nothing gets in there at night, there is not the tiniest opening. It's all solid walls and hardware cloth. I also use hot wire as an added measure and with excellent results. That also helps with any other roaming critter who decides to check things out and is really effective on stray dogs.

 

[moetrout]

The "hand traps" are called dog proof traps. It is very unlikey you would ever catch a cat or dog in them, IF you use sweet baits like marshmallows. I use to use live traps and would kill every cat (without a collar), coon, and oppossum I caught. That helped a lot. I really didn't like doing that so now I have taken up fur trapping in the winter and do my best to clear out all the varmints in the fall/winter months. I've only lost 2 chicken in 5 years. One to a coon and another to what I believe was a hawk.

My adivce to your problem is to make sure you kill them. It's the only way to be sure they do not come back. It's your choice on how you do that, be it trap and shoot or all night stake out. Soft hearted people loose more chickens and EVERYTHING loves a chicken dinner.

 

[NoelleBP]

I love all the pictures of the dogs and the birds. So sweet. My dogs like to kill chickens when left alone with them. I wish my dogs could discern the proper target.

I am thinking that I may have to kill them too. I made a joke last year that I was going to kill and skin the killer raccoon and wear it as a hat when I fed my girls. I have many friends that would gladly kill and skin a coon for me and their selves.

I am setting the trap tonight. I will post updates.

 

[MsChickenMomma]

Good luck! We ended up killing 7 raccoons last year. Two of them killed two of our chickens and then brought all of their friends. We had no choice but to kill every last one of them. Another choice for a trap would be a live trap. We bait our with whole eggs and it catches the 'coons every time. We use eggs because we have several barn cats, and we found this was the only thing the cats didn't take any notice to. Using whole eggs also catches opossums!

 

[Wrooster]

We had chicks in a temporary cage next to the critter-proof big birds space and lost 3 dead and 1 injured one night. The next night I put a Tractor Supply driveway alarm out there (about $15), set up a cot on the porch and put the receiver for the alarm next to the cot. About 12:30 am it went off and I went out there (100' from the house, rural, no lights) with a .22 pistol and a headlamp. It took a little while to find him watching me from up in a tree, but my headlamp lit up his eyes and the pistol sights real well and he was an easy target.

Interesting factoid: there were 6 buffs and 6 reds. All 4 casualties were buffs. Easier to see in the dark, I guess.

 

[BrendaJ]

I use dogs to keep wild critters at bay, if they enter the safe zone they don't leave alive no matter what it is.
this is Gracie she is my critter getter.















These are my guns

OMG - Gracie is beautiful as a matter of fact all your animals look great. Love how they all coexist - great pics. My big boy Kodiak would love to be her buddy Dogs are the best guardians from unwelcomed chicken hunters.

 

[Mattemma]

I just killed my first coon of the season.Havahart 1089.I think the key is finding the travel path.I have a great spot which is a hole a ground hog chewed in my chainlink.It is right next to a wooded area,so I get coons,possums,squirrels,rabbits,and cats.

I put my trap in front of the hole and put a variety of bait in it.Sometimes I catch with no bait! Get the havahart. It was $46 at home depot.Set it near the coop 24/7 not just when you have a kill.Anything creeping in your yard deserves to be trapped.

 

[CyndiChick]

I'm going to be camped out all night hunting the coon that got our chicks last night. Apparently the repellent wore off and I forgot to refresh it, so we lost 4 chicks, 3 of them hens.

 

[gilmeryote]

The dog proof traps definitely are the way to go.I got mine from Minnesota Trapline, they have several types.I use the "Coon Dagger" trap,seems like they were about $14 each.Get at least three so you can gang set them,but don't put them so close that they can get in more than one trap.Be sure to secure them good with a stake or tie off with a cable or heavy wire.I've caught plenty of coons and possums with them along with an occasional cat.Caught our family cat yesterday and she was released with no more than some hurt feelings.

 

[gilmeryote]

I use dogs to keep wild critters at bay, if they enter the safe zone they don't leave alive no matter what it is.
this is Gracie she is my critter getter.















These are my guns








That's cool seeing those dogs lay up with all those birds.We got a miniature weiner pup that I'm trying to break from harassing my chickens