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

[linders]

We have a few raccoons coming around day and night. They walk around as if they own the place!! Wondering how people dispose of them once they are caught in a trap?

 

[mpguay]

I had a raccoon issue and got a hav-a-heart trap from tractor supply. Not sure of the brand name, but the design was hav-a-heart.
We caught a raccoon the first night (using sardines as bait). Went out there at midnight, made sure he was secure in the trap, and assumed we would dispose of him next day.
Next morning the trap was empty. he had all night to work on it. good news is, he didnt return. But I wont trust those traps again unless I reinforce them.

I love the idea of a driveway alarm!

 

[12321]

We have a few raccoons coming around day and night. They walk around as if they own the place!! Wondering how people dispose of them once they are caught in a trap?

One shot between the eyes, behingd the ear, top of the head or back of the head. You want the bullet to go through the brain. If you don't have a gun, or can't use one where you are, if using a live trap, sink it in a barrel of water, pond, ditch or put a box or tarp over it and run a hose into it from your car's exhaust. If using a "dog proof" trap and you can't use a gun, it gets a bit more personal. Hit it over the head with a 2x4 or metal bar. Just make sure it's long enough that the coon can't reach you.

 

[Wrooster]

We have a few raccoons coming around day and night. They walk around as if they own the place!! Wondering how people dispose of them once they are caught in a trap?

Shoot or drown. And something about the latter bothers me but that's up to you. We haven't trapped any, haven't tried to, but have had carcasses to get rid of. We carry it to the other side of the property, several hundred feet from the chickens and nothing there but woods, and leave it to be recycled. A day or two and it's gone except for maybe some bones.

 

[newcutesgaw12]

my fam has alwayz jus used a double barreled shot gun to git rid of em.

 

[chelout]

I think I too might have a raccoon problem. I checked my girls this morning and one of my RIRs was missing from the run. Then I found a large gathering of feathers at the foot of my large oak tree, looked up and saw the remains of poor Buttercup high up on a limb. I haven't seen any predators and we live in town AND have a fenced in yard. What do you think killed her. Obviously something big enough to carry her up a tree.

 

[MsChickenMomma]

I think I too might have a raccoon problem. I checked my girls this morning and one of my RIRs was missing from the run. Then I found a large gathering of feathers at the foot of my large oak tree, looked up and saw the remains of poor Buttercup high up on a limb. I haven't seen any predators and we live in town AND have a fenced in yard. What do you think killed her. Obviously something big enough to carry her up a tree.

I asked my dad, and he said that you may have a hawk problem. A hawk could easily fly down into your run, grab and chicken, and fly back out. It could also have carried it up into the tree.

Is your run covered? If not, you should probably invest some money towards covering it. If you cover it, you'll want something tougher than chicken wire. Most predators can tear through chicken wire.

I am so very sorry for your loss! Sadly it's something that all chicken owners go through. My advice would be to keep an eye out for more hawks until you can get the run covered (if you are able to). Once predators get a taste for chickens, they almost always come back for more.

 

[pbandj]

We use electric around our coops. We also have geese which seem to help too!

 

[chelout]

My run was already covered, but there were a few gaps where the critter was able to sneak in. We addressed all the weaknesses in our run that day we found out. I've also set out a live trap to see if I can catch the offender!

 

[MsChickenMomma]

Hmm... I'm not sure than. My only guess is a hawk. Looks like that's not the case then. It might be a raccoon. I guess you'll have to see if you catch anything!