stupid, or should I say too smart, racoon!

[firedove]

Sounds like a good plan, but how many feral cats will that catch? I've heard apples and peanut butter will catch a coon but avoid the cat complication. Any thoughts?

 

[silkiechicken]

Coons are witty, any latch they can figure out, some can open trash cans like walking. Marshmallow and sweet foods is good to get coons and not get cats.

 

[Judy]

Sounds to me like your guess is correct, about coons caving in the feed lid to figure out the latch. And I agree, padlock is the only latch that will stop them.

I wouldn't leave the key in reach, either. They'd probably figure out how to open the lock with the key. Coons ain't dumb.

 

[firedove]

My solution for keeping the coon out was to move the feed bin. Seems to have worked since there was no latch opening last night, nothing near the latch for coon to sit on or hang from to open the latch now.

I think I have some marshmallows in the cabinet. I'll try fruit and marshmallows and see what happens.

 

[Badlatitude]

Quote:
if they figure out to take a key off a hook and stick it in a lock the right way then open the lock ... Ill wring the chickens necks and hand feed that coon.. make him my prized pet lol

 

[Judy]

Quote:
if they figure out to take a key off a hook and stick it in a lock the right way then open the lock ... Ill wring the chickens necks and hand feed that coon.. make him my prized pet lol

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
Trapping is like 90% placement, so put the trap with the goods along the edge you think it walks. With enough time, they may learn to move things to get to the latch! If a 3 yo kid can do it, so can a coon... and then some.

 

[firedove]

Well hopefully by the time it would be learning to move stuff to the latch it has been trapped and killed instead. A good coon is a dead coon

 

[Bizzybirdy]

>>if they figure out to take a key off a hook and stick it in a lock the right way then open the lock ... Ill wring the chickens necks and hand feed that coon.. make him my prized pet lol

<<

I have some Goffin Cockatoos that can do that in a jiffy! They can even reach outside their cage and insert/turn the keys. I have to hide the key to the lock under another cage where they cannot reach. Used to keep them on the counter beside the cages. lol

Animals are smarter than we sometimes realize.

 

[greengardengirl]

Thanks for everyone posting about this ... I bought completely the wrong kind of latches for my coop ... Good thing they haven't gone outside yet ... I am switching to locks!