There was a coon in with my chickens when I went to lock them up!!!!

[Debi214]

Darn coon! One or more just killed 2 of my hens

about a month ago and now it is back. Freaked me out!!!! So now I set the alarm on my cell phone to go off at 8pm EST to remind me to close my girls up at night so this would never happen again and when I went out tonight I saw my girls outside the coop in their run and they looked like they were saying "what the heck is that?" That is when I saw the big fuzzy tail run inside their coop.

I knew right away what it was and grabbed a big stick and started yelling for help. Finally my fiance' heard me calling and came running in which I responded "get your gun - coon in coop!". Anyway the darn thing finally got out with only minor injuries

, my birds are fine

and I closed up every nook and cranny that a raccoon can get into. I will have to work on it better tomorrow when it is light out. It doesn't get dark here until almost 9 and I had no idea there would be one out this early in the evening. It was smaller than an adult so I am thinking the mama and siblings weren't too far off; they were waiting for darkness. I am going to put my shovel close by so I can be like Miss Jayne and whack that varmint if I see it or any of its friends or relatives ever again!

 

[zatsdeb]

you need to set a live trap and catch those buggers!!
when we started losing chickens, and my ducks, we set a trap out, and in a few weeks we caught 20 coons.
we were near a wooded area.
scary.

 

[The Wolf Queen]

debi214 wrote: I am going to put my shovel close by so I can be like Miss Jayne and whack that varmint if I see it or any of its friends or relatives ever again!

 

[Polish Chickens]

It's best to kill them coons as they're nothing but trouble

 

[lickskillet]

Shovels DEF have there uses!Lol I have heard a pitchfork works too for some predators.

 

[Debi214]

Quote:
same here - you would have to see our neighbors property. It has old old old chicken houses everywhere and it is overgrown now so there are a lot of places for any kind of varmints to hide.

I will get a trap tomorrow for sure! But what do you do with raccoons? Do they come back if you drop off a couple of miles away?

 

[Debi214]

Polish that is what I really wanted - dead coon - remember it had already killed 2 hens!

lickskillet - remind me to get my pitch fork out tomorrow when it's light out! I will put it beside my shovel!!!!

 

[Chicken03]

I have a raccon... I think that has been eating the cracked corn I leave out in a can for the chickens. I'm trying to catch it in a box trap but its getting out. I did some improvments to the trap so hopefully it will be in the trap tommorow morning so I can do away with it.

 

[Debi214]

I am wishing you good luck

 

[mmtillman]

Quote:
same here - you would have to see our neighbors property. It has old old old chicken houses everywhere and it is overgrown now so there are a lot of places for any kind of varmints to hide.

I will get a trap tomorrow for sure! But what do you do with raccoons? Do they come back if you drop off a couple of miles away?

You asked what to do with the raccoons ? Talk to some of the oldtimers in your area....chances are an older person might want that coon to eat!! My FIL used to fix them just like a roast....toss in a crockpot , add mushroom soup,potatoes, carrots and onions and you have a feast !!!
Also ...some trappers might pay for the furs? ....ask around ...you might find a taker....but a relocated coon is a problem for some other chicken owner.