think raccoon got into my pen

[fishman65]

got up this morning and went out to check up on my hens and guineas and found a dead guinea, a missing guinea and a missing hen. The dead guinea had his head eaten off, feathers plucked, insides eaten out and some of the feathers cut evenly like they were cut with scissors. I think it was a raccoon what do you think.

 

[Emzyyy]

I don't know but Im sure someone else will.

 

[SoJoChickens]

Raccoon sounds like a very good possibility. They are bad news for chickens! Sorry for your loss.

 

[Calebs Acre]

So sorry for your loss!! Raccoon sounds right to me. I have a huge raccoon problem. It's like he watches every move I make and if we make ANY TINY slip up, he is there to capitalize on it and he massacred a pen of ducks one night and it was EXACTLY as you explained. Some birds were totally missing though.

 

[#1California Chick]

Welcome to BYC!!

Where do you live?? What other predators are in your area??

Make sure that you consider every predator when you are making your coop stronger!!

Good Luck!!

Cindy

 

[eggchel]

Sounds like it could have been a raccoon.

We trap them using canned cat food and marshmallow as bait. Also eggs work for bait, too, and are especially good for catching skunks.

 

[fishman65]

thanks. last night was long but i had no predators visit me. I live in NE alabama on top of sand mountain so we have a whole host of predators that i have to start paying attention to. i am gonna get a trail camera so i can get a better idea just how bad the pred population is.

 

[Lollipop]

Sounds about right. They usually don`t return the night after having a good meal, sometimes the 3rd or 4th night. They will return though, so fortify your coop, set your trap and be aware. If ya can`t catch him, pm me, I`ve got a sure cure.......Pop

 

[jbowen9]

You better set a trap tonight because it will be back free easy meals are hard for coons to pass up remember coons love sweets so if you have cats in your area you might want to use sweets as bait but good luck coons can destroy everything you have worked for in a short period of time