Sad day.

[Emirasan]

I just lost half my girls to (most likely) a raccoon. My son looked outside and couldn't see any of the girls milling about in their yard so he stepped outside to check and saw one corner of the pen torn open and one of the Ameracauna's wandering around outside the pen. It was the middle of the day so I was certainly not expecting anything to happen to them. We found 3 inside the coop, scared but alive, caught the little one outside and put her with them. One dead in the pen and 4 missing.

We've made plans to reinforce the pen wire and set a trap for the raccoon. Gonna be a lot of sleepless nights for me for a while.

 

[adrikeen]

I am so sorry for your loss!!! I understand the sleepless night thing. After losing my own flock 3 years ago and rebuilding by creating "Fort Chicken Knox", I still have anxiety issues when I see or hear critters outside. My thoughts are with you.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Raccoons are mostly nocturnal. This happened during the day?

 

[Emirasan]

Thanks so much. I've already been through losing half my first batch of chicks to inexperience and illness and now they were all doing so well, almost had all of their feathers in and really starting to show personalities and...this happens. I feel like this happens every time I try to have something nice for myself.

The photos were taken just last week.

 

[Emirasan]

Raccoons are mostly nocturnal. This happened during the day?

Yeah, I know it's odd, but the way the pen was ripped open didn't look like the work of a dog and we have had a raccoon getting into the squirrel feed in our carport. I guess he didn't like me getting sturdy cans for it. It's rained here recently too so there is plenty of mud for tracks and I didn't find any dog prints or claw marks like a dog would leave.

 

[adrikeen]

Was the wire torn open like it had been bit then torn or torn away from part of the wooden frame?
I wound up doing hard cloth with the chicken wire on top and that stopped anything biting or pulling apart the wire panels. I also have a double layer of stone pavers around the base outside of the coop and a layer inside the coop. I have all types of critters....fox/opossum, raccoon, and fox....that have attempted coop entry. Oh yeah....roofing material....how can I forget the hawks!

 

[Sue S]

So sorry for your loss, I lost my 2 ducks to a raccoon, ( it happened at night ), I live in the country in Pa & it's very odd to see a raccoon during the day, I would keep an eye out for it to make sure it's not rabid. I reinforced my duck pen with hardware cloth so nothing can get my new ducks, I would recommend doing the same also I have a trail cam set up at the pen & a live trap, I would rather be prepared then lose one to another raccoon. Good luck

 

[wildone]

it most have been a raccoon with kits/cubs/whatever you call them. otherwise they don't really come out in the day. I hate it when birds are lost. you get so attached to them.

 

[Emirasan]

We're thinking it was actually one of the kits since the paw prints aren't large enough for an adult. A neighbor confirmed where the family is living when we asked if he had a live trap we could borrow.

The fencing was pushed in away from the frame without leaving a scratch on the frame itself. It almost looked as if it was pushed in a bit, then pulled outward and pushed back in to create the hole. We barricaded around the coop for tonight and will be starting early on reinforcing and double layering the wire.

I do have some good news. Only one of the little Ameracauna's was killed, the other one was in the hen house under the 3 reds. My biggest red was also hiding out behind some plywood and concrete blocks by our back door. (the wood is sitting up on the blocks to stay dry) She was scared but otherwise unharmed.

If we do catch a/the raccoon, I am going to contact the local wildlife officers and ask about getting it tested for rabies.

 

[llombardo]

So this looks like a pre fab coop? You think it was a younger raccoon? A younger raccoon was able to tear the wire off the coop? I looked at mine a couple days ago and thought the staples sure didn't seem to be enough even though I pushed on it and it was sturdy.

Just when I think I'm done I have to add more. A second layer of hardware cloth will now be added to the prefab coop I have along with all around it on the ground.

Sorry for your loss--it's just horrible.