So, something is trying to get my chicks, and I'm not sure what to do

[2Old2Crow]

Yeah,,,,that was mine. Trust me.....this critter won't be around if he ever decides to return!!

But we also have racoons, and this most definitely a racoon. I LOVE game cameras!!! Lets ya know what ur up against.

 

[SomeChickinTN]

So, it turns out it is a giant raccoon. I brought the chicks in, and my husband and son used the coop to set up a trap. Rigged it so that when it came in through the nesting box and put weight on the steps, the lid would slam shut.

 

[aart]

So, it turns out it is a giant raccoon. I brought the chicks in, and my husband and son used the coop to set up a trap. Rigged it so that when it came in through the nesting box and put weight on the steps, the lid would slam shut.

Looking forward to hearing of it's demise.

 

[hayley3]

So, it turns out it is a giant raccoon. I brought the chicks in, and my husband and son used the coop to set up a trap. Rigged it so that when it came in through the nesting box and put weight on the steps, the lid would slam shut.

Figured it was a raccoon. And where there is one, there are plenty more.

 

[jsr5]

I liked my electric fence over night two courses of wire one about 4 inches up and one 10 or 12 inches higher. It trained coons possums and my hard headed german shepherd to stay away.

 

[kodster]

Do not leave chickens in a TSC coop at night. They are not raccoon proof. I had raccoons peel the metal layer off of my garage door.

I had a cat door put through my garage door, one of those flap ones. Came home one day and found FIVE raccoons had decided to follow the cat in, and get into the cat food that was up on the cat stand in a secure area. We ended up using high velocity water hose to get them out of the garage, and even still, one REFUSED to leave. We ended up using a broom to discourage it to stay, and it ran off. Needless to say, the cats were very disappointed they couldn't come and go as usual for a while, as their cat door was kept closed to discourage the return of the coons.

 

[GrammaMickyMouse]

This may or may not be helpful, but our local raccoons broke the 2x2 boards on one of our chicken tractors! The boards!!! They also pried a nailed in board on the bottom of a coop off. They are strong and persistent.

My best advice is to create a welded wire pen around the house; dug into the ground and over the top. Chicken wire is child's play to a hungry raccoon.

They're smart and they just don't give up! Arrrggghh!

I agree with this advice....we have a 16' Run Fully Wrapped in 1/2" Hardware Cloth Underneath & Splice Overlapping, Up the Sides with a completely Enclosed Metal Roof on top of Plywood with All Vents reinforced with HC as well. If something gets inside the Run or House (which is equally completely sealed with HC....it will be solely My Fault

 

[Buckeye Amy]

Those are raccoon footprints all over the roof. They will not give up!

 

[NaperLix]

This coop won't do.Thick wood,no cracks,gaps.I have double hardware cloth,affixed seperatly.Welded wire ,and screening.
If nothing else ,put sticky pads,for mice not on the ground,you'll hurt rabbits birds.
Put on side of coop where scratched.Several.Can also corral the coop with welded wire can't scratch wood.good luck.

 

[The wise chicken]

This depends how serious you are about raising chickens and how many you have what my family and I did was we bought a small shed and the chickens sleep in there at night nothing can get in we even wired the windows.