Racoon friend or foe?

[Spitman]

Went out to shut coop door and there was a big coon eating the chickens food just looked at me droped it's tail and booked , the chickens seemed fine just letting the coon snack out of there feeder I killed 3 last year. Anyone had coons that were more interested in the feed than the birds. The chickens seemed like they new this coon and had no problem sharing there feed with the dood. I had to lol. But I'm going to have to kill him or her. Sooner or later I'm afraid he will want chicken for dinner what do you think?

 

[scbatz33]

he will graduate from feed to chickens...trust me, been there, done that...nothing but dead birds to show for it. PLUS he will tell ALLLLLLLLLLL his friends.

 

[happyhensny]

Racoons are vicious! A family of them got into my meat bird coop and killed 32+ birds, exactly 1 week from butcher, in no time. Since then I have learned my lesson, chicken wire keeps chickens in and lets everything else in too. Do not keep them around.

 

[calista]

In my neck of the woods growing up, it was a country saying that the reason raccoons wear black masks is because they're BANDITS.

Give them an inch, they and all their friends will take a mile.

 

[kla37]

Foe!

 

[wistlindixie]

Coons are BAD NEWS!

 

[MysticScorpio82]

Definately NOT friend. Coons seem to be the most common chicken killer I have seen on this forum. Nasty buggers...

 

[Spitman]

Thanks guys just needed the pep talk, I'll bait the trap Tom.

 

[cgtara3]

We had the same thing happen. First the coon would sneak off in the daytime when we went to the coop. It was feasting on the chicken-feed and eggs, then it graduated to crawling on top of the coop, lowering itself down and eating one of our babies, and scampering off into the dark after it ripped our smallest hen to shreds. I will never forget how one of our other hens Sweet Pea would NOT go back into the coop for two nights after wards. We had to coax her as she wanted to fly off somewhere. Coons are on the nasty list. There is nothing friendly about them. That coon is just testing the waters until it works up enough courage to go for the kill. Beware.

 

[Papadavid]

They are also rabies prone. Only good coon is when it is a cap!!!