Sleeping Racoon in coop

[rlehl2144]

We live on the Kansas prairie and have a mixed flock of guinea fowl, chickens, Khaki Campell and Golden 300 ducks. They all share the same coop. Recently, we've had trouble with raccoons around the place. We have to bring the automatic dog food feeder in, and any feed left that our birds didn't eat. The other night, one or several of them broke through my coop door and killed 6 of the ducks, leaving 3 injured. They came back the next night, but we were ready. We set out traps and reinforced the coop door. We have since caught and disposed of 4 raccoons right around the coop area. This afternoon, while cleaning out the coop, I was surprised to find a Racoon sleeping in one of the nesting boxes! What a shock! I have been seriously considering getting an automatic poultry door to close them up when we are away. Now, I'm thinking not. What if they get closed in with a Racoon? I cannot imagine what would have happened if I had not gone in there. I could have sent them to their slaughter. We have a creek that runs behind our house that has a highway of Racoon tracks around it. I just don't know if we can keep our flock safe. Any suggestions?.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

I have alot of raccoons too. My dogs help alot, they make enough racket to discourage all but the most desperate.
Traping raccoons is a good way to keep them from getting too desperate. I personally would put out feelers and see if you can find someone to do a bit of trapping along your creek. Less predators lessen the stress of everything else, then you will have less brave predators.

 

[bigoledude]

Coons and possums are the easiest to catch in my opinion. One of the absolute best ways to catch them is with this dog-proof trap I have linked to below.

http://www.rpoutdoors.com/dudpcotr.html

It is almost foolproof. The fact that this old fool has caught many coons and possums with it proves this!

I stuff it with a mixture of strawberry preserves and fish guts. Tuna or sardines would substitute just fine. Also drop a few bigole globs all around your traps. That's it. I have been helping the folks near us trap and kill nuisance animals for a while. I've never charged a dime. It's about the only hunting this beat-up old man can do anymore.

This trap will not catch dogs or cats. Several companies make a version of this trap. The trip lever must be pulled upward to to fire the trap. It takes an animal with hand-like front paws to reach down into the cylinder to pull the trip lever up. I'm told that it works on skunks and possibly the members of the weasel family? We have neither down here so I can't tell you from first-hand experience.

Nobody hardly calls for help with coons and possums anymore. They've all bought versions of these dog-proof traps for themselves.

 

[rlehl2144]

We are lucky to have a trapper in the area; he is allowing us to borrow some bobcat traps from him, which so far have been working well for the coons. We have a red heeler dog, which used to be great at keeping varmits away, but she is 14 now; can't hear and has difficulty seeing. We have been talking about getting another dog. We just got rid of one b/c she developed a taste for fowl.

 

[rlehl2144]

Coons and possums are the easiest to catch in my opinion.  One of the absolute best ways to catch them is with this dog-proof trap I have linked to below.

http://www.rpoutdoors.com/dudpcotr.html

It is almost foolproof.  The fact that this old fool has caught many coons and possums with it proves this!

I stuff it with a mixture of strawberry preserves and fish guts.  Tuna or sardines would substitute just fine.  Also drop a few bigole globs all around your traps.  That's it.  I have been helping the folks near us trap and kill nuisance animals for a while.  I've never charged a dime.  It's about the only hunting this beat-up old man can do anymore.

This trap will not catch dogs or cats.  Several companies make a version of this trap.  The trip lever must be pulled upward to to fire the trap.  It takes an animal with hand-like front paws to reach down into the cylinder to pull the trip lever up.  I'm told that it works on skunks and possibly the members of the weasel family?  We have neither down here so I can't tell you from first-hand experience.

Nobody hardly calls for help with coons and possums anymore.  They've all bought versions of these dog-proof traps for themselves.  

Thanks for the link and info! It looks like an easy thing to set up along the creek.