Weirdest Raccoon Ever and not sure what to do with it?

[HarmonyEostre]

I have this Raccoon that comes at night to swim in my muscovies kiddy pool. Well that's what it used to do at least. This night when I went to put my 3 month old chickens in the coop, it was already dark. 3 of them were on top of the baby run I have for when their to small to go with the big girls and the rest were huddled in the corner of a fence I got. The raccoon was at the bottom of the baby pen and this is totally my fault for leaving too much food in with my mama duck but the raccoon was reaching in for food while above it's head were my little bantam and 2 others. Funny thing is that it wasn't or didn't look like it was at least a threat to them in the moment. Okay so once it saw me at the entrance of the pen it climbed my fence out and jumped on to the nearest tree. I counted up my babies and they were all good then put them in the coop. The entire time I was putting them away I tried to keep my eye on the raccoon and my babies but half way I lost sight of it. In the moment I thought it just ran deep into the woods. Though once I secured my coop I had to go over to my old coop that's now a shed/still a coop for my oldest hen Beatrice. Now when I walked over there and was like 10ish feet away maybe a little more I saw the raccoon right in front of the door to where Beatrice was. Thankfully it ran off once I kinda got scared for my hen and yelled at it. I think it was going for my treat bowl that I had filled with fruit I mean there wasn't much left but still. Now I'm very confused cause it hasn't attacked any of my birds but makes a mess in the kiddy pool. I guess you'd say my question is what should I do trap it and relocate or just keep letting it come because it hasn't done anything but swim in my pool? (And yes I've seen it while all my birds doors to the coops are open in the dark though it's never near them, part from the thing I explained above.)

 

[Heatherella]

Don’t take any chances! I would relocate it, ASAP! I lost four chickens to raccoons. They are beautiful and intelligent creatures. They need to eat, but I’d rather it not be my chickens.

 

[HarmonyEostre]

Don’t take any chances! I would relocate it, ASAP! I lost four chickens to raccoons. They are beautiful and intelligent creatures. They need to eat, but I’d rather it not be my chickens.

Thank you! I haven't been able to sleep cause I've been up thinking but I think tomorrow I'm definitely going to set up my trap. Again thank you! My birds are my entire life.

 

[LateBirdFarms]

Raccoons will always take an easy meal over one that requires work, but it's a huge risk to take. I tend to leave my dogs bowl of kibble out garbage night and 9 times out of 10 they'll dine on kibble instead of spreading my trash around, but it still happens now and then. I'd trap and relocate before it decides its tired of leftovers and wants a fresh drumstick instead!

 

[HarmonyEostre]

Raccoons will always take an easy meal over one that requires work, but it's a huge risk to take. I tend to leave my dogs bowl of kibble out garbage night and 9 times out of 10 they'll dine on kibble instead of spreading my trash around, but it still happens now and then. I'd trap and relocate before it decides its tired of leftovers and wants a fresh drumstick instead!

Thank you!

 

[rosemarythyme]

In many areas it's illegal to relocate them. If you're going to trap it, plan on killing it.

 

[Eggscaping]

It's not only illegal to relocate in some areas but...consider this: You would be releasing an animal that has and knows its own territory into some other raccoon's territory. Raccoons are territorial and defend their areas.
Also, if your released raccoon can't find anything to eat where you release it and goes after someone else's chickens, now the raccoon is trap-savvy and probably won't go near a trap that the other person sets. I agree with rosemarythyme: If you trap it, kill it. Raccoons not only kill chickens, they can and do kill dogs (speaking from experience) and cats. Another thing to consider is they can and do carry rabies and distemper.

 

[Howard E]

I find the OP's concern about finding a coon out and about the pens and chickens borderline amusing. You didn't know?

To those who are wondering, yes there are all manner of predators and varmints lurking about after hours.....under the cover of darkness. More than you would ever imagine. If would be the exception to the rule if they weren't.

So what to do? Provide birds with housing that nothing, absolutely nothing can get in and the birds will be safe. Do that and you (and birds) have nothing to worry about. Fail to do that and you can kiss them goodbye. Varmints will win.

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. I would not be leaving anything out for the coon. It may be back for a duck or chicken dinner when you least expect it. We are rural on a dead end road. Now and then we get other people relocations. I do see vehicles now and then going down our road but when they can't go any further they turn around and I think some release their catches. This is not a predator but was left down by the main road at the end of my driveway. Luckily we found it and found it a home.

 

[Heatherella]

I agree with the other posts. I would not be leaving anything out for the coon. It may be back for a duck or chicken dinner when you least expect it. We are rural on a dead end road. Now and then we get other people relocations. I do see vehicles now and then going down our road but when they can't go any further they turn around and I think some release their catches. This is not a predator but was left down by the main road at the end of my driveway. Luckily we found it and found it a home.
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It is so awful that someone would leave that poor duckling for dead! What a lucky duck to have found a loving home!