Raccoons. So cute and such JERKS

[Sue Gremlin]

They chewed a hole in the plastic chicken wire and invited all their friends. I swear, I wouldn't even mind feeding them if they didn't kill chickens.

 

[Henriettamom919]

I *was* feeding them before I got chickens! About four years ago this momma shows up limping with kits. I'd cared for wild animals most of my youth at a wild animal rescue preserve and knew without the ability to climb trees she wasn't going to have much luck protecting and feeding those babies or herself so I'd set some dog food down near our stream.

Fast forward to now, she's three legged- she still has the arm and hand but it's drawn up and she can't walk on it. The big problem came when she stopped coming. I quit putting food out last year long before we got chickens but without her to chase off the intruders I've been having to go out each morning and chase any new visitors away a bb gun and a broom.

I never thought I'd *miss* a specific raccoon but she actually kept our local population down when she was around.

 

[Henriettamom919]

I want to add I'm in no way advocating for raccoons as yard buddies or suggesting they're safe around chickens under any circumstances. I helped one lame raccoon many moons ago and she was an asset to our property at the time but that was long before I had chickens.

Now those furry little bandits have to GO!

 

[aart]

the plastic chicken wire

 

[Sue Gremlin]

You told me as soon as you saw it.

 

[Henriettamom919]

You told me as soon as you saw it.

Took me a second...

 

[llombardo]

Lots of people feed them in a place away from chickens and are successful. They are hungry and I think as long as the bellies are full, they aren't hunting to survive. My neighbor feeds some cats and they are by him all the time, but they live in my trees.

 

[aart]

You told me as soon as you saw it.

This event might speed your mesh replacement program

 

[Henriettamom919]

Lots of people feed them in a place away from chickens and are successful. They are hungry and I think as long as the bellies are full, they aren't hunting to survive. My neighbor feeds some cats and they are by him all the time, but they live in my trees.

This is true; full and lazy raccoons aren't really interested in wrestling live animals to the ground. The problem is word of an easy food source seems to get around and before you know it you have juvenile males and nursing mamas fighting it out for the feed dish!

Part of what made our three legged mama coon so great was she defended this property like a honey badger. You get a group of strangers encroaching and you're either dealing with fighting raccoons or raccoons who go looking for other food nearby and pray it's not your birds

One raccoon is one thing if your okay feeding it but it's competitors are another matter.

 

[llombardo]

This is true; full and lazy raccoons aren't really interested in wrestling live animals to the ground. The problem is word of an easy food source seems to get around and before you know it you have juvenile males and nursing mamas fighting it out for the feed dish!

Part of what made our three legged mama coon so great was she defended this property like a honey badger. You get a group of strangers encroaching and you're either dealing with fighting raccoons or raccoons who go looking for other food nearby and pray it's not your birds

One raccoon is one thing if your okay feeding it but it's competitors are another matter.

Yep. They seem to live in territories. I know my other neighbor killed one a little bit ago because it attacked him on his porch. The raccoons and Opposums live on my trees, we all know that. The neighbor across the way loss his one hen to an oppossum and the roister disappeared shortly about a month ago. He has never had an issue with them before. Not sure if it's the raccoons on my side or if the group is different across the way. I know it wasn't the extra large mama I have--she is huge, at least 40 pounds. That group eats all the cat food. That group also knows that there are dogs inthe yard, not sure another group would care. So I almist hope that the ones that do know and don't bother stick around and stay in this territory because you never know what you will get next.