Racoon tried to carry off one of my girls!

[Echolalia]

I heard screaming, growling, clucking noises in my yard and ran down to investigate.

Horrid raccoons! One of them broke into my hen house and tried to drag my hen Sparrow away. In my rage, I threw my son's little red wagon at it a la "Hulk smash! style. Did a headcount at the henhouse and when I looked back, the raccoon was still in the yard waiting for me to leave. I grabbed a shovel and went bezerker on him again.

After the raccoon split, I found Sparrow huddling under a tree - when I threw the wagon, it must have startled the raccoon into letting her go. She was wheezing a bit and has an open wound on her neck but seems otherwise fine. I spayed her wound with Blu-Kote and put her in a carrier in my bedroom. How are her odds of survival?

edited by staff

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

How bad is she bleeding?

 

[Mattemma]

I have seen pictures of really bad wounds heal.As long as you can keep infection at bay she can do it.Hope she makes it!

I look forward to hearing about your *dispatch* too.

 

[speckledhen]

Sorry about your hen.

If a coon can "break in" to your hen house, you have some work to do, I'm afraid. They are very strong animals, but if you have proper wire (hardware cloth and/or 2x4 welded wire) on the pens, properly attached with hammer-in U staples or screws backed by metal washers, plus dig barriers, as well as have them locked inside a sturdy built house before dusk, you won't have a raccoon issue. I live in the woods in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Every evening, raccoons, possums, coyote, foxes, n'hood dogs and who-knows-what roam my property. I see their tracks and I see them if I spotlight the woods in the middle of the night. I've seen their paw prints on the window ledges. I've never had a predator loss.

Unfortunately, if one got in, something else can. If you have chicken wire, get rid of it and get something stronger. Chicken wire will keep out nothing.


ETA: If you post pictures of your setup, maybe we can help you shore it up some.

 

[Suzierd]

Best to secure them today he will be back, more then likely tonight.

 

[Echolalia]

Truth be told, I haven't been doing a very dilligent job of locking the girls up at night. I haven't seen a raccoon around here in years, so I got complacent. I locked up everything tight last night and will do so from here on in. All things considered, I got off easy.

Sparrow is a little sore this morning but is eating and drinking. I put her out in the yard to range because it seemed cruel to keep her in the cat carrier all day. I am, however, keeping the other girls in the enclosure for fear that they will peck at her and reopen her neck wound. I heard Blu Kote prevents other chickens from pecking, but I want to be sure.

 

[Echolalia]

All things said, neighbors got a hell of a show last night, watching me administer a raccoon beatdown with a little red wagon, a shovel and a whole lot of cussing. I got a few good blows in; hopefully that raccoon has a massive headache and sore ribs today.

Unfortunately, you cannot shoot raccoons here (which, considering how close the houses are to one another, is probably a good idea), all you can do is trap them and let Animal Care & Control come pick them up. I might have to buy a trap if this keeps up.

Nothing like a raid on my henhouse to bring the "hot-blooded country girl" out of the latte-sippin', arugula eating city girl.

 

[Mattemma]

Glad your girl is doing ok. I think the blue kote might REDUCE the pecking. I spray my one hens backside buldge,and I noticed another hen with a blue beak the next day. Hmmmmmmm. Still it is better than nothing.

The trap I got was $46 at home depot. Well worth the cost.

 

[Nathan Sampson]

Well the whole not being able to shoot the thing makes my usual raccoon post null in void usually I would tell you to BBQ that sucker.

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

I had almost the same thing happen in my coop last night. I woke up to screaming, clucking noises, grabbed the big metal flashlight, and ran outside to find a coon climbing through a hole he'd made near the top of my coop, carrying my favorite rooster. I beat the crap out of him for about 30 seconds with the flashlight. He dropped the roo and ran into the woods. The chicken died unfortunately

I have a lot of work to do today. The coon pulled the wire away from where it was attached to the roof. Now I have to reinforce the whole roof line. I know he'll be back tonight.