Racoons stealing chicks and eggs

[poultrypal]

Last week while we were on vacation several racoons came and killed six of our chicks and one turkey chick. I had them in a wire cage inside the coop. I figured since the holes in the wire were very small they would be safe but they managed to pull pieces of them through. My poor friend had to deal with cleaning every thing up. Since then they have been back (I assume) everynight looking for eggs. Unfortunately, I can't find where all of our turkeys have been laying their eggs since two of them are escaping from their coop. Any suggestions on dealing with them? We have seen four and they look look juveniles. Obviously the loose turkey eggs aren't helping but that will soon be resolved.

 

[spiderman]

Dealing with what the racoons?

 

[poultrypal]

Yes, the racoons. I was hoping once there was nothing more for them to steal or eat they would move on but they are still back every night.

 

[Miltonchix]

Shoot 'em.
Or trap and shoot.
As long as theres a free meal they'll be back til the foods all gone.

 

[chicknmania]

Unfortunately, once they have found a gold mine like yours there's not much you can do except trap them. Usually they are easy to trap. Cover a trap with a tarp, then bait with tuna fish or marshmallows, sardines, catfood. What you do with em after that I'd rather not know. Because young ones are very appealing. We had that problem. we lost a LOT of birds...fifteen, and a mother hen and her soon to be hatched chicks...bloody eggs and chicken parts everywhere. We hired a trapper because we didn't have enough traps, and just couldn't deal with it...we had skunk and weasel problems at the same time. It was not a fun experience, because we love wildlife, also. We built up the barricades on our barn after that, and have not had a problem since (knock on wood...).

 

[Davaroo]

Yeah it's you or them. Do what you gotta.

 

[eggchel]

My DD traps them, using canned catfood and marshmallows for bait, and then drives them about 6 miles up the canyon and releases them because we arent allowed to fire weapons here. With the adults, we sometimes spray a bit of landscape paint on their backs so that we will know if they return.

Chel

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
The paint is a good idea, but Im left to wonder - can you discharge firearms up the canyon?

 

[bearfretworks]

Are you positive you cannot discharge a firearm "in protection of life and/or property"?????

 

[eggchel]

Yes, Im pretty sure that we cant discharge firearms without getting arrested. We are now surrounded by the growing metropolis. The cities have extended their boundaries out into the canyon, too.

Chel