Stakeout tonight

[spuetz07]

We caught two raccoons last night. They are *gone for good.* Tonight, Im a bit nervous. What if I dont catch them as quick as last night. I keep checking on the coop. You can refer to the thread "Dead raccoon stuck in the worst place" to see the results of last night. I have a full brooder box, and 12 full grown chickens in the coop. Its just nerve wrecking! How am I ever going to sleep!!!! AHhhhhhHHHH Maybe I should sleep in the coop? Anyway Im armed and ready for action if needed!

 

[schoebel_taylor]

I live in the woods of wisconsin and i slept in a tent outside with a gun next to me and ended up getting 1 and missing one. I havent seen or heard them since.

 

[Mahonri]

They are rascals. Is there a way to set up a light that comes on with motion detection?

 

[jqs birds]

Get a live trap.

 

[spuetz07]

Yes, we do need to invest in one of those. We have a street light in our yard, so I can see around the coop area. It helps. I also keep feed in a covered aluminum trashcan right under the light so that would be their first attempt at a feast, I think. At least before they go to the chickens. If I can catch them there, Im good....I hope.

 

[sturdyprairiegal]

Heck with the live trap... get a good dog!! For the year I had a Great Pyrenees/German Shepherd, even the deer didn't come near my open few acres in the middle of the woods. I slept like a baby. He ran perimeter guard all night while the chickens were safely cooped, and slept all day happily on a 75' zip line/20' tether.

The guineas would even play a little daredevil game where they'd semicircle around the big guy, creep in slowly and quietly until they were within a foot or two, then one would run over and peck him and turn quickly and run away. The others would all laugh, I swear. He would open one eye and give them the look and off they'd run, screaming with delight (as only a guinea fowl can scream).

Unfortunately, in early March my big guy was killed by a marauding teenager who swerved across the road and onto the shoulderin order to run him over, 10' from my kids waiting on the schoolbus (he walked them down every morning because we have a resident mountain lion who creeps me out a little... running, giggling kids look a lot like mice to a 150 lb cat, I'd imagine)

Yes, incredibly unbearably unbelievably awful, for all of us.

Since then, I've lost 8 ducks to a daytime-feeding fox, whose kit I "surprised" at 5am last week, one chicken (my best layer, a Buff Orp named Buffy) to a neighbor dog, and one older chick to a red-tailed hawk.

We have a new pup now, Great Pyr/Collie, who has been hanging out with chickens since she was born. Soon she'll be ready to take over night patrol, and I'll be able to sleep again. In the interim, I keep one of the windows open (near the coop, though that may change soon given the ungodly smell lately) and the guineas keep guard. They conveniently perch in the tree outside my window, overlooking "their birds" so the slightest notion of racoon or fox sends them into hyper-scream and me out the door to handle the problem.

Actually, last week the guineas saved my little crested polish--a ridiculously brave guy, only 8 weeks old, who wanders farther than anyone and literally climbs the fence to slip out between it and the overhead mesh covering)-- from a redtailed hawk. I could NOT figure out what they were all screaming at, and when I looked where they were looking, I could see nothing. Suddenly, from the woodpile flew a young hawk, followed by the crazy polish running, squawking like mad, back toward the safety of home. Interesting little dance between those eight animals...

Long story short -- coop your birds well (yeah, right--I know how that goes

), get yourself some guineas, find a good Great Pyr pup. You'll be able to sleep again, and NEVER regret it.