Raccoons

[Leha]

I'm devastated.. our favorite hen, Sylvia, was recently killed by the local raccoons. They tore through our chicken wire and got inside the run, then inside the coop. What hurts the most is that raccoons only kill chickens for sport.. they don't actually eat them.

We patched the hole and my neighbors who also love our chickens, have been helping to lock up the coop at night and unlock it in the morning. However, the raccoons terrorize my chickens every night. My son spent all night chasing them off -- they're huge and relentless.

I also heard from some of my local friends, that I'm not the only one being terrorized by them right now..

Do any of you have any methods for deterring them, that actually works? Short of rebuilding our entire setup, I don't know how to prevent what's happening. We're only going to be able to keep the girls for about another year and I want to protect them as best I can between now and then.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Go on amazon and search for coon cuffs, bait eith marshmellow and kill them in the morning, keep at it until they stop coming around.

Gary

 

[deepbluesea]

I'm so sorry! I had the same thing happen on Monday. At least I think it was a raccoon. Someone said to get a hav-a-hart trap and then submerge it in water for five minutes, but I haven't done anything yet. Good luck and let us know what you end up doing.

 

[Leha]

I don't have a fur license, (required to kill raccoons in the state of California) so we would have to release it or transport it. I will look into the coon cuffs though, thanks for that.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

California Raccoon Laws
By Meridith Friedman

NA/Photos.com/Getty Images

Raccoons are adaptable animals, thriving in urban and wilderness areas alike; in fact, there is a particularly large population of them in California's Orange Country. Raccoons can cause damage to buildings, gardens and lawns, and are prone to diseases and parasites. The California Department of Fish and Game is responsible for determining and regulating all laws pertaining to the protection, trapping and keeping of raccoons.


TRAPPING
Raccoons that have caused property damage can be trapped with humane traps that must be checked every 24 hours. The raccoons can either be brought into the local animal control office for euthanization or released into the immediate area. To prevent the spread of disease, raccoons should not be relocated long distances from where they were initially trapped. The California Department of Fish and Game regulations prohibit the relocation of raccoons without written permission.


I would SSS and be done with it. I am in Ca as well

 

[Folly's place]

Check with your DNR: predators killing your livestock can be legally killed everywhere, most likely. It's illegal to trap and relocate them in most states, except in very specific circumstances. Raptors are protected, but you are dealing with raccoons, who will be back this week! Chicken wire is useless, as your poor birds just discovered; give it up and apply hardware cloth, well secured, over all openings larger than 1/2" diameter. ASAP! Don't trap unless you will kill it! Trapwise chicken killers are nobody's friends! Mary

 

[Leha]

So wait, because it killed my chicken, I have a right to kill it myself? If that's the case, then it changes everything.

 

[bobbi-j]

Electric fence around your coop and run may be helpful. Several strands, starting around 3-4" off the ground, then 4-6" apart.

 

[itsasmallfarm]

So wait, because it killed my chicken, I have a right to kill it myself? If that's the case, then it changes everything.

you should have the right to defend your live stock, and by it killing your chickens you should have the right to defend them against more attacks.

next i never had heard of laws protecting raccoons, (but you learn something new every day i guess) i would go with hard ware cloth with electric wire fence to defend your birds, (its the set up where using for coons).

 

[B Redhawk]

For the state of California it would be in your best interest to contact CA fish and game, just because "most states" allow protection of farm animals, doesn't mean that it is true for all states. Why risk finding out the hard way? I live in Arkansas and in the country as well, so where I live it isn't a problem for me to terminate any raccoon, opossum, skunk, snake, coyote, etc. If I lived in one of the cities or towns, then the rules change.