Raccoons!!!

[BantamBecka]

Please someone tell me how to get rid of these creatures! A few months back we were healing a chicken that was given to us, he had a hurt leg- so I separated him from the rest of my chickens so they wouldn't peck him and hurt him-I had him in a rabbit hutch- one morning I went out there and he was gone

the only thing left were a couple of scattered bloody feathers

I know it was a raccoon because nothing else could have unlatched the latch! Then last night when I went to put the chickens in their house ( they are free range during the day in a fenced pen and sleep in a little house with doors that shut) I saw TWO huge raccoons in the pen and I hadn't put my chickens up yet! I screamed and clapped my hands together and they ran away- it left me shaky and afraid somehow they would get to my chickens during the night! Could someone tell me how I can scare them away for good? I'd hate to kill any creature as I am an animal lover, but these raccoons were as big as my dog!

 

[teach1rusl]

I had two young ones hanging around a few months back, and was told to get out the water hose, scare them away as much as possible, put food away in the evenings (including cat food), etc. Other than that, you can only trap/kill, OR take preventative measures, such as locking your birds in at night, keeping a small light in the coop, making sure your run/coop is secure. My raccoons disappeared (or at least I haven't seen them around in weeks), but if yours have gotten birds already, they most likely aren't going to be as easy to convince to move on. A secure coop/run is key!

 

[jhm47]

If they've tasted chicken and found out just how easy a delicious meal that they are, you will have coons trying to enter and eat the rest for a long time. Coons are extremely clever, can climb most anything, and also dig under things. They are very good at working latches, doorknobs, most anything that humans can manipulate.

I would suggest that you contact animal control and have them take care of your problem. If you don't, I predict that you will soon be an "ex" chicken owner.

 

[3rocksandme]

Raccoons killed 10 of my chickens! We since have locked the latches to their coop, have a motion light outside the coop and we play the radio inside the coop at night. So far so good. There doesn't appear to be any markings on the coop that would make me think that they are trying to get in.

 

[eekgads]

I am so sorry to hear of those raccoons. Unfortunately, I agree: if they've tasted chicken, they'll be back. Good luck!

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
They're not going to go away as they are aware of the KofC franchise you have opened in their neighborhood and will be back.

We thought we had "A" raccoon this summer who killed one of our chickens. We set a live trap and ended up getting FIVE H*U*G*E raccoons.

There's no scaring them away. You can either live with them in the neighborhood or trap and kill them (as relocation is ordinarily illegal in most places).
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that's just the reality.

This was the SMALLEST one we caught (that trap is 42 inches long):

 

[aprophet]

Quote:

 

[drdoolittle]

Besides having a "secure" pen, we have a GSD that patrols at night! Of course, we live out in the country.

 

[Damummis]

A very secure pen/coop first and foremost. Chicken wire/hardware cloth over, under and surrounding every bid of chicken area and then this.................... https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=387417

Good Luck.

 

[ekemily]

It is possible to make a predator proof coop and run. You don't have coons going through your fridge in your kitchen, do you? When a coon gets in a coop/run and eats the chickens, I would take it as a failure on my part for not putting up adequate security for them. We live in the country with coons, oppossums, bobcat, dogs (which are another story entirely), and lots of hawks, foxes, etc. I have not lost any birds to predation (knock on wood). If I do, then I will re-assess what I am doing wrong with my coop. I am not going to go on a killing rampage and wipe out families of wild animals because they "may" or "may not" one day try and eat my pets. They are chickens and they are tasty to everything, including us. You can't blame a raccoon for trying to eat. There are times when I would dispatch animals for various different reasons that I don't feel like getting into right now. However, I do not agree with trapping anything that moves and then killing it because it is guilty by association.