racoon trap?

[tuffy]

I'm so sad this morning~ in the last 3 nights something has been getting into my nursery pen. After reading here I'm quite certain it is a raccoon. We have never had this problem in the 10 yrs wev'e had chickens. First night "something" got 4 of 6 8 wk old chicks, Mom and 2 others were unhurt.One carcass with head gone and inards missing just outside of pen, pile of feathers around. I moved the rest of them to the large coop for safety. Second night, after much reinforcing of pen with welded wire etc.(Nothing can get thru that!) new broody hen w/ 10 eggs under her~ Door to pen wide open and 2 eggs broken and empty, Mom clucking around out in the field. Door had been held shut with a piece of wood on an screw spun to hold it. Again reinforced the door with a real latch, weights in front of it and Mom was happy to get new eggs under her. Again Hubby said "Nothing will get in there now" Bad news, this morning~ Mom hen gone, feathers everywhere, all eggs broken in nest. No sign of entry. We hardly see raccoons around here altho I know they are around, sometimes see them sleeping by the side of the road.
The top of the pen is only chicken wire with a few small gaps in it around the edges. Can a raccoon climb up walls 7 feet high, squeeze thru chicken wire and then remove a full grown Orp back thru the small opening? Does it eat the whole chicken while in there?
Probably a coon right?? I want to go out right now and buy a trap--please what kind should I get? A large hav a heart(which I won't if I catch it!) What kind of bait? I always thought coon were very hard to catch due to their smarts. I'm petrified the offender will next move to the real coop(which we think is secure??) and try to get in to my 30 ladies. Thanks for help everyone.

 

[scbatz33]

I have been battling coons for two weeks now. They will climb a sheer stall wall and get in, they will dig under, they will squeeze through a space too small for the chicken to get out and kill them. They will eat them there, and they will pack a lunch to go. Those things are relentless. Do not underestimate a raccoon

 

[Jack Sparrow]

I've had something after my chickens, killed a rooster 3 weeks ago and then two days ago, I found a large Orphington hen dead, head and croup gone. This morning, another 2 dead (Barred Rock and my pet New Hampshire red).

I didn't think we had coons here, never had a problem with predators except dogs and coyotes and fencing keeps them out. But now, after reading about it here, I think I have a raccoon, or more.

I've never dealt with this before so like tuffy, I need some suggestions.

 

[scbatz33]

We have had 3 ducks, two turkeys, 3 EEs, 2 Phoenix, 4 CQs, a splash polish and now my very best bred black orpington hen eaten. At first it was the loose ducks, then they got into the growing pen. We re-enforced the walls with wire and mesh. Then it looked like they were getting in throught the ceiling. Added more wood. They they climbed a sheer wall and pushed out a board - more wire and wood. then they dug under.

At that point I moved the 2 month olds (what was left) back in with the month olds. They havent' gotten in again. For two days we had nothing. Then this morning my husband found one of my hens half drug through a hole in the coop. It seems they scaled the fence to teh layer coop squeezed through a relatively small hole and killed my best girl. They then tried to drag her back out and couldn't cause she was too big.

We have set several traps and caught 3 raccoons and a possum. I have bought more traps and will be camping in the barn tonight. They are killing my birds faster than we are killing them. I have to get a handle on this or all my birds will be gone.

Raccoons appear to bite the neck and then will eat the carcass. I have had a weasel get my very youngest chicks once, they eat the chicken's innards. They leave an empty carcass. At least the one that killed my babies. I have since remedied that one, but these raccoons are just one step ahead of me! ARGH!!!!

 

[scbatz33]

Oh, and we bought some wire traps from TSC set them with marshmallows and sardines. That seems to work to lure them. However, you only get one per trap. Last night we had one int eh trap but something then climbed on top of the trap and pried open the feed bin. And yes, we dispatch them. We aren't setting them loose to kill anyone else's stock.

 

[tuffy]

Are you using large live traps? I will go to Tractor Supply right now~Need to know what to buy. Thanks

 

[scbatz33]

Quote:
They sell a couple kind. I bough the one they have on sale right now. It's a large trap and small trap together for like $35 or something. I set them both. We caught the raccoons int he large ones, but the possum was caught in the small one. so I figure why not. We set them both

And yes, it's the live trap. We have kittens running around so we didn't want to accidentally kill the wrong thing. We take care of the rest ourselves.

 

[tuffy]

Thank you, I'm on my way to TS~ Lynn

 

[scbatz33]

Quote:
good luck.

Sarah

 

[aprophet]

if you are trying to not catch domestics use marshmallows (eye appeal ) and molasses