The scariest halloween ever, my flock is dead or dying....

[Coop Deville]

Chewed the bottom row of bars off!?!?! Seems like nothing will stop those guys! No sympathy for raccoons here!

 

[Shellz]

Yep. If I can find the pic of the aftermath, I'll post it. Those coons can sure flatten themselves & get out of tight places. The thing is, those TSC Havahart live traps are junk.

 

[jedgell]

If you trap them and can't shoot them, drop them in a pond or water trough and drown them. If you catch and release, you will just make them someone else's problem /nightmare.

 

[Pathfinders]

If you trap them and can't shoot them, drop them in a pond or water trough and drown them. If you catch and release, you will just make them someone else's problem /nightmare.

Or a barrel of water.

I agree, catch and release isn't really a viable option IMO. Either they will become someone else's problem, or they'll make their way back to your farm. I read somewhere that raccoons have been known to travel as much as 30 miles to return to a known source of food.

 

[joan1708]

Sorry for your loss! The egglus are cute coops and they look so modern and functional! But no good if they can't keep your birds safe! Thank you to warning others of the problem.

Sorry to get things sidetracked but, I have a question. Can you catch and release possum's? I've caught 3 this year. I released them in a park by the river. They were small and did not get any of my chickens so I don't have any great malice toward them. I just don't want them around.

 

[jedgell]

I don't think you are supposed to, but I have done it.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote:

I just don't want them around.

Neither do those who live near the park, especially now you've taught them to avoid traps

Relocating wildlife is also illegal in most states

 

[Kyzmette]

I hate causing harm to any living creature. That being said, if something is out there killing your chickens, dispatch it quickly and humanely and don't feel a minute of regret about it. If you rehome it, you simply make it somebody else's problem. It's like people think nobody else keeps edible pets who could be devastated by that critter.

 

[Shellz]

Or the diseases they may have & spread. Its one of the reasons relocation is illegal in some places. Little possums become bigger possums & a bigger problem for someone else, if not yourself, later on. I never relish the taking of an animal's life, but is sometimes necessary. I was (still am, just more selective ) an avid animal lover & after moving to the country & raising poultry, I started to realize the NEED to take out certain animals, if I wanted to keep my poultry safe. In a recent attack by a new predator, I've decided to purchase some Nite Guard Solar units to make the chicken winter yard safe.

 

[Pathfinders]

Opossums also carry the disease Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, or EPM, which can be fatal to horses. We lost our beloved Buddy to it last fall. He was 32, and other than being ill with EPM in perfect health. I have no problem trapping and shooting raccoons or possums.