We went to dinner, and meanwhile a raccoon ate our chicken

[Animalfisherwoman]

We went for a night out, and a raccoon killed one of my chickens. Another has facial injuries and is resting in an egg box.

White Owl, I'm so sorry. You were the third hen we lost to raccoons, and we lost the others the same way--all prolific layers, all nice personalities, and all in this case raised from chicks. White, they gave us you and Brown in a paper bag. Two little defenseless Easter Egger chicks. We put you two in a cage atop the washing machine. When you got bigger, we put you and your sister in your own shed under a heat lamp, until you got big enough to run with the other ones. It was six months before either of you laid your first egg and since, you've barely missed a day.

I'm sorry I did not protect you enough White Owl. I'm now going to do better.

We tried "raccoon deterrents" like ammonia. They don't work. We only leave food during the day, and it is usually gone by the time the chickens go to roost. We don't treat the lawn or plants with insecticides being that the chickens are on the lawn all day and sometimes in our plants.

The next step is a live trap. What bait works best to get raccoons but not attract skunks or cats? Should the trap be set especially late at night or in the early morning?

 

[Lemon-Drop]

I’m so sorry for your loss. I once came back from Church and my favorite girl was gone. Sending prayers of peace and comfort your way.

As far as your questions go, I am not sure how to help.

 

[Animalfisherwoman]

I’m so sorry for your loss. I once came back from Church and my favorite girl was gone. Sending prayers of peace and comfort your way.

As far as your questions go, I am not sure how to help.

 

[Animalfisherwoman]

Thanks Lemon-Drop.

This is not the first chicken I have lost nor the first I have tried to save. The three I couldn't were all taken by predators in their first year of lay. The injured Marans from 2019 did not lay eggs for nearly a year after being injured. We paid for that bird's operation and overnight stay--and suffice it to say we can't afford to do that again, not for even one bird.

F that they're just "wildlife" and are "native" and "belong" or are "benign." The population is absolutely out of control. They s-yt pathogens over my lawn daily and in fact have actually dug up 90 percent of my remediation to fix the dead lawn. We can't spray because said chickens are on the lawn and this is a 5,000 square foot lot and not three acres.

I'm sorry, but raccoons and skunks are the same as rats and mice. They are a threat to human health, they are hugely overabundant, they are rarely if ever pets in adulthood, and they kill other people's pets in adulthood.

They're a pest and a threat to my health and financial well being as much as any cockroach is. Actually a lot more in terms of immediate impact.

We got a live trap from Home Depot just now. If SO is the one to deal with a raccoon in there, it'll be his choice on whether he chooses to drive 20, 30 miles out of the way to release this overpopulated specimen who is probably carrying raccoon roundworm or other zoonotic diseases, including rabies.

If it ends up in my lap, sorry but I won't take any of these risks.

 

[Peppercorngal]

You need a secure coop with an attached run that you can lock them in at night. That is the only thing that will protect them. You can't possible kill all the racoons, owls, and every other predator that wants a chicken dinner. Use chicken wire or hardware cloth and completely enclose an area just outside the coop for them to be safe during the night. Use an apron and put bricks or rocks on top so nothing can dig under. I have two chicken runs and coops. I lock them in at dusk and release them in the morning about 8am. They are free to leave the coop and eat and drink in the runs, where I keep their food and water, until I come out to release them to free range. Good luck!

 

[Acre4Me]

Mini marshmallows. Raccoons love them!! Love love love.

next options can be a nearly empty can of cat food or canned fish.

racoons are terrible.

don’t release anywhere else. It is often illegal. If you trap, be prepared to euthanize the raccoon.

 

[Joyfillednomads]

We went for a night out, and a raccoon killed one of my chickens. Another has facial injuries and is resting in an egg box.

White Owl, I'm so sorry. You were the third hen we lost to raccoons, and we lost the others the same way--all prolific layers, all nice personalities, and all in this case raised from chicks. White, they gave us you and Brown in a paper bag. Two little defenseless Easter Egger chicks. We put you two in a cage atop the washing machine. When you got bigger, we put you and your sister in your own shed under a heat lamp, until you got big enough to run with the other ones. It was six months before either of you laid your first egg and since, you've barely missed a day.

I'm sorry I did not protect you enough White Owl. I'm now going to do better.

We tried "raccoon deterrents" like ammonia. They don't work. We only leave food during the day, and it is usually gone by the time the chickens go to roost. We don't treat the lawn or plants with insecticides being that the chickens are on the lawn all day and sometimes in our plants.

The next step is a live trap. What bait works best to get raccoons but not attract skunks or cats? Should the trap be set especially late at night or in the early morning?

Sorry

 

[50-45-1]

Sorry about your losses.
Racoons and possums all have there place in nature's balance.
Chickens are compleetly defenseless at night, that is where they depend on us to provide a safe and secure coop that they are locked in until morning.
With such a coop you will not likely suffer more losses to anything at night.
My current coop is a direct result of many preditors showing me where the weaknesses were.
I am confident that no preditor gets in except maybe a hungry bear
Good luck!

 

[cmom]

If you trap it either eliminate it or contact a wildlife rescue and they will come and get it. We are rural on a dead end road and have been the recipients of others relocations. Here it is illegal unless you get the property owners permission. No one ever contacted us. Not all relocations are bad but not good either. Some one left this at the end of our driveway. I found a home for it. I think whoever dropped it off was because they knew we had chickens.

 

[Yakisugi Coop]

Have you figured out where the weakness is in your coop? That seems like the place to start. I'm not sure why killing raccoons is the obvious next step. Better defenses would be much more effective, and less of a hassle, long term.