Raccoons

[keesmom]

I didn't need chickens to have them invade my home.

Out of curiosity did you play music stations or talk radio? I know of people who use talk radio to keep coons and deer out of gardens.

Did you have to trap the damn things yourself?

 

[Folly's place]

Having a very secure coop, and if possible run, and having all feed inside, not scattered outside, helps a lot. Any food left out is a critter magnet! Only live trap if you will then kill the trapped raccoon, opossum, or skunk! Mary

 

[jeria]

Out of curiosity did you play music stations or talk radio? I know of people who use talk radio to keep coons and deer out of gardens.

Did you have to trap the damn things yourself?

I tried both types of stations. I was trying to chase them out so I could have the damage repaired. No way was I going to trap them. I initially thought it was squirrels and did borrow a squirrel trap, course way too small. My neighbor saw the coons getting in one night.

The first family was trapped by a friend of my DD who sells pelts. It was winter so permanent repairs were delayed due to weather. The 2nd family ripped the temporary barriers off and moved in. They were trapped by exterminators (DD's friend was working out of the area). They caught 8 one over 35 pounds, not sure how many in the first family. Some have been up on my house and my neighbors since but have not found a way in.

 

[Folly's place]

People who don't have poultry tend to think that raccoons are cute. We all know better!!! Mary

 

[peterlund]

Raccoons are nimble creatures...
I had chain link fencing around one of my runs, and a racoon reached in and removed the head from one of mine....

 

[jeria]

People who don't have poultry tend to think that raccoons are cute. We all know better!!! Mary

Even before considering chickens, I hate coons. They are nasty destructive critters. Last year driving at night near my DD's in the country one ran out in front of my car in the dark. Could miss hitting it, I didn't even feel bad.

 

[Crazy Mama]

hardware cloth, secured with "U" nails with a 2+ inch overlap around the area that they roost overnight, with secure door, is the only solution I have found.

I'll have to try that because the Coons just got my Drake, Bill 2 nights ago and I had him for over a year with no problems. Thank you.

 

[Crazy Mama]

Crazy Mama, what part of MO? We have lots of coons here in the city day and night and when I lived in the country east of St Joe for years we usually saw them only at night.

Southwest of St. Louis about 40 miles, closer to Sullivan and when I did lived in the city I remember seeing them day and night too, their nocturnal but because human lifestyle had changed and evolved, so do animals to adapt.

 

[Folly's place]

My coop/ run combination has hardware cloth everywhere, with the lower four ft. covered with 2"x4" woven wire, fence stapled, and then covered with 1x4 boards screwed into the framing. Only bears will breach that! Mary

 

[Birdinhand]

I'll have to try that because the Coons just got my Drake, Bill 2 nights ago and I had him for over a year with no problems. Thank you.

the trick to installing hardware cloth is using screws with washers as a come along to tighten the seam so that you can nail it down without gaps or slack. the screw goes in at an angle so that it pulls the cloth taught. once the nails are in you can unscrew and reuse it on the next stretch.