This was weird.....surreal even. What was going on?

[chickensioux]

Yesterday we (my mom and I) were sitting on the back patio enjoying the weather. I looked at my chicken area and there in the middle of things was a huge raccoon, sitting at the feed bowl enjoying himself. My chickens were all around him not panicked at all. I screamed and ran at him and he ran under the coop with the other chickens. They were not scared either. I chased him off. Ten minutes later he was back at the bowl again the chickens were not alarmed. I chased him off again. Meanwhile my son got the gun ready (I personally cannot do it). He came back for a third time, everybody all around him. My son got a shot off but he was hightailing it back into the woods.

What the.....? Why are my girl not alarmed at all? The raccoon did not appear ill, he ran away each time quickly. I'm totally baffled and very nervous. What to do?

 

[Highland Hens]

I wonder if he has been in there before? Like as with a dog I bet chickens could get use to him if he has been there before only eating out of there feed bowl. But I would try to make your run tighter so he cant get in.

 

[mpgo4th]

Hopefully he stays away. Even if the chickens dont mind him and hes not trying to kill them, he still probably has lice, mites, worms and god knows what else he can pass on to the chickens. Id keep a gun ready and pop him as soon as I got the chance.

 

[mpgo4th]

As a side note, I have a red fox that I have let live only because my chickens are inside a secure chain link run with a top on it. He passes through the field behind me about 100 yards from the coop and never even looks over our direction. But if one day he gets to close it will be his last time. My beagles spot him long before I do and they let me know whenever he is there. That is the main reason I put my coop and run next to my dogs.

 

[Shaken71]

I would be extremely cautious w/ an overly friendly raccoon...
There are quite a few heated discussions on here whether to shoot or not... I shoot... but I'm also a trapper, hunter etc...
An animal who has learned that you keep your feeder full will not just forget it.
True he may be that one in a million raccoon that doesn't like the taste of chicken, like a chicken who won't eat worms... but I wouldn't take that chance.

 

[OldGuy43]

Another consideration is the fact that an overly friendly mammal is often a sign of rabies.

 

[chickensioux]

Well, I don't like him visiting and we are keeping a gun ready. As soon as he figures out the chickens are a good choice, I'm in deep doo doo. Our chicken area is fenced with a hot wire on top and a fishing line grid to keep the hawks away. It is too large to totally secure it. All of the girls are locked up tight at night and 100% safe but this was during the day. I guess we'll just have to keep a close eye on things until he has been........taken care of.

 

[Mattemma]

Besides the risk to the birds they also are often covered in ticks and their feces is full of roundworm eggs. Trap and shoot.

 

[bobbi-j]

I think he's just going for an easy meal. Why chase down and try to kill a chicken when you have a nice, full feeder right there? Now, if he were to get in your coop at night, that could be a whole different story. Eating a chicken at night wouldn't take much more effort than eating out of a feeder. Why weren't your chickens afraid? Well, frankly, chickens really aren't that smart. If it had not ever chased them, they wouldn't see it as a potential threat. If it were me, I'd shoot it. He's just way too comfortable with your flock. I'll admit, I chuckled when I read, "he ran under the coop with the OTHER chickens..."

 

[chickensioux]

. I'll admit, I chuckled when I read, "he ran under the coop with the OTHER chickens..."

That does sound funny now that I read it like that. Other chickens were dust bathing under the coop and never stopped when he ran under there. This situation is making me nervous. Thanks everyone. I guess he has been around but I had never seen him and we sit outside all the time. Things change, I suppose we need to end it. Makes me sad but I don't want him getting any of my girls......