Racoon got 3 meaties...Question Updated Post #10

[Jschaaff]

QUESTION EDITED:

Hubby and I had a date last night, and did not get home until 10. Never bothered checking on the chickens, because DS13 always shuts them in, without fail.


Well, except for last night. Got up at 6 am to 3 dead meaties, and one dead Golden Comet. She was a new hen we just picked up yesterday. My birds have a nice size coop and pen, but they "free range," all day (the borders of their area are 7 foot deer fencing... so that they can run all over the place, but never end up in the neighbors yard. It's not for predators obviously, just a boundry line for them. Usually they would be locked up tight in the hen house, and the meat birds would be locked up tight in their tractor.

Long story short... this morning a coon got my new Golden, and we found the bodies of 2 meat birds, one still missing, but I know its gone. And dammit wouldn't you know my little guy, I was thinking of keeping, well, yeah, that one too.

So this will sound disgusting to many, so let me say right off, I am not looking for posts telling me how gross it is, I get it... I get it... I get it....

So what I WAS wondering is, the 2 meaties that are dead, the only thing removed is their heads, the bodys are completely intact no blood, no wounds. . .

Is it possible to still process them, if I go out and do it right now?

Are there actual factual, safety issues even though the bodies will be scalded at 150 degrees.

BUT, just finally got a hold of my dad, and was given in an absolute "No Way In H.................. !!!"So I guess that answers that.

Thank you for your help.

-Jessa

 

[Two Creeks Farm]

It really depends on how long the birds have been dead and the temperature. We will butcher a deer found the next day as long as its cold enough, if not its wasted. If we loose a chickena nd know what killed it, we process it for the dogs atleast....hate waste. Scalding will do nothing to prevent you from becoming sick or keeping the meat fresh......

 

[bigredfeather]

My rule is I have to kill it to eat it. You obviously don't know what the TOD was, so it could have happened right after dark. Which IMHO is too long for any animal to lay around not gutted. I wouldn't take the chance, but feeding it to a dog or cat would be okay, so you don't waste it.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[Neil Grassbaugh]

Sure you are dealing with a raccoon? Sounds like owl predation to me.

 

[Jschaaff]

Quote:
It very well could be an owl. We lost a buff 3 years ago to an owl, never had another problem since. I think having 26 chickens loose just screamed "free buffet".

Hubby and I will be sitting out tonight, me with the .22, him with the shotgun. Hoping it was a coon/coons because there is no way we're shooting an owl because I'm pretty sure that's illegal...so yes, keeping fingers crossed it's a coon.

 

[deserthound]

Be aware that any bird killed by an unknown predator, skunk, coon, etc. has the possibility of being exposed to rabies and because of this we would never consider eating the remainder of the bird. Cooking will not make it safe. Skunks also take off the head. This has been an extremely bad year for skunks in this area, having killed over 2 dozen since April.

 

[Neil Grassbaugh]

Sitting up all night? Good luck.

My reciepe-
One part Blue Streak fly bait, one and one half parts cola. Mix till syrup like and put out in small dishes at nightfall so the 'coon can lap it up. O'possums also like this. Cats and dogs do not like the smell or taste.

Then go to bed.

Collect the unconsumed bait when you get up in the morning and gather up all the dead raccoons laying around the place.

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
This works very well. Sometimes they only make it a foot from the pan.

 

[Jschaaff]

Thank you. My hubbby is looking for the fly bait right now. Unfortunately I don't think he'll find it at the big stores he's near right now...think Wally world, but tomorrow I can head over to the feed/hardware store and should be able to find it.

Neighbors are saying 4 chickens means it probably wasn't a skunk or a racoon, claiming they'll usually do one and leave. I know we have skunks, killed a few last year, but never had a problem with them doing anything other than stealing eggs [as far as we knew...], they spend most of their time in the compost pile. Still, doesn't mean it wasn't skunks.
I know most of the ones we've had here before, were always in pairs, so if it was coons, it was at least two...so could have been coons... still, neighbors are claiming since it was so quiet, none of us heard a darn thing, that maybe it was a fischer cat. I might never know, but I'll be putting the fly bait and cola out anyway.

I still can't believe the dogs didn't bark. I have two, Gunny and Sarge, and they can be in the house, every window closed, and someone comes up the street, 400 feet from the house, I know it...dogs barking, Sarge at the door frantic to go out and eat them, and Gunny crying cuz he wants to go play. And two neighbor dogs maybe 100 feet away from the chickens (other side of fence), never barked once according to neighbors (one of my hens carcass ended up in their yard

)

We're mid-30's... young enough I suppose, but we are the early bed time kinda folks. DH is not quite pleasant with anything less than 7 hours... I'd rather deal with a mad raccoon! So yeah, I guess I was reaching thinking we would stay up tonight and wait...probably not gonna' happen.

He just called, couldn't find the fly bait, so that'll have to wait until tomorrow. For tonight he's going to set the large have a heart trap and hope he catches one of them... Wont be a catch and release kinda thing tho...

**Edited to fix grammar. Dang it!
-Jessa

 

[Jschaaff]

I called all of our local stores, within an hour driving actually, and no one carries Blue Streak Fly Bait..or the anything similar. Is there ANYthing else that would be effective to put out. I love the idea of not having to shoot, since we are within 300 feet of other dwellings... we've done it before, but there will be the ONE time that someone calls, even though they know what we're shooting at...


Thanks again for the help.

-Jessa