Racoons in chicken shed 2 days in a row.

[Chicken Farmer 22]

The other day a raccoon knawed a hole into the wall of my chicken shed and we patched it up. Yesterday I went back over there to check on them before going to bed and the racoons was in there again. Went and got a gun and went back over and couldn't find him but he was sitting in a laying box and I shot him in there and threw him over the fence. We did not find a single hole the raccoon could have came through I have a automatic closing door so I think it may have came in before the door closed. Is there any homemade spray to keep racoons away?

 

[sourland]

Hotwire around the coop/pen is a great deterrent. Other than that trapping and disposing - you might be amazed at how many there are.

 

[Chicken Farmer 22]

Hotwire around the coop/pen is a great deterrent. Other than that trapping and disposing - you might be amazed at how many there are.

Thanks I will definitely do that on my next chicken coop.

 

[Ravenseye]

Check that automatic door. On some, the door slides down and meets a small bottom rail. A raccoon has "hands" and they often find that if they put their "fingers" right at the bottom, they can lift lift the door easily. Most tend to drop by the weight of the door so there's no resistance to lifting. On mine, I added a larger bottom "rail" so that a raccoon couldn't get those fingers under the edge. Not perfect, but better. Yours may have found it could be lifted up and just walked right in.

BTW...I also added a stout wooden outside door that I can close when lots of predators are around. I know it eliminates the convenience of the automatic door but it makes for two obstructions to the predators. Lately, we've had loads of bear attacks on chicken coops around me and I've been using the outside door as an extra measure. When things quiet down, I'll go back to just the automatic door.

 

[Chicken Farmer 22]

Check that automatic door. On some, the door slides down and meets a small bottom rail. A raccoon has "hands" and they often find that if they put their "fingers" right at the bottom, they can lift lift the door easily. Most tend to drop by the weight of the door so there's no resistance to lifting. On mine, I added a larger bottom "rail" so that a raccoon couldn't get those fingers under the edge. Not perfect, but better. Yours may have found it could be lifted up and just walked right in.

BTW...I also added a stout wooden outside door that I can close when lots of predators are around. I know it eliminates the convenience of the automatic door but it makes for two obstructions to the predators. Lately, we've had loads of bear attacks on chicken coops around me and I've been using the outside door as an extra measure. When things quiet down, I'll go back to just the automatic door.

Check that automatic door. On some, the door slides down and meets a small bottom rail. A raccoon has "hands" and they often find that if they put their "fingers" right at the bottom, they can lift lift the door easily. Most tend to drop by the weight of the door so there's no resistance to lifting. On mine, I added a larger bottom "rail" so that a raccoon couldn't get those fingers under the edge. Not perfect, but better. Yours may have found it could be lifted up and just walked right in.

BTW...I also added a stout wooden outside door that I can close when lots of predators are around. I know it eliminates the convenience of the automatic door but it makes for two obstructions to the predators. Lately, we've had loads of bear attacks on chicken coops around me and I've been using the outside door as an extra measure. When things quiet down, I'll go back to just the automatic door.

I have the type of automatic door that uses a piston arm to close and not a string so I don't think it could push it open but it may be able to