What to do about the raccoons?

[Howard E]

The most disturbing thing I've read in this thread is the Marlin has gone missing.

I'd be going on a blood hunt to find it.

 

[thomasj]

...1/2 inch hardware cloth fastened securely is needed.
...Electric fence surrounding coop is additional protection.
...my pens are surrounded by bittersweet.

I've decided to follow your lead. Yesterday, I went into town and spent over two hundred dollars on a 100 ft. roll of 1'x2"x4ft. welded wire, 19 T-Posts, and the rest of the hardware needed to fence in the birds' run area to keep the birds in. I also got the stuff needed to put up an electric fence on the outside, top and bottom, of the wire fence to keep the raccoons out, the bottom wire will be low enough for anti-dig, and the wire at the top of the fence will keep them from finishing their climbing over. My ground will also be attached to the wire fence because when a raccoon is climbing, he is not in contact with the ground.

I forgot to get the most important thing while at Tractor Supply. That is the trap. I lost one more bird in broad daylight to a braison raccoon yesterday afternoon, while I was inside on a phone call. He went right into the coop through the chicken door and grabbed one of the 2 sweethearts that stay in the coop and come over to me when I am out there. I am heading back into town to get a trap, maybe two.

One more thing, what is bittersweet and how did you apply it.

 

[thomasj]

The most disturbing thing I've read in this thread is the Marlin has gone missing.

I'd be going on a blood hunt to find it.

Yes. Very disturbing to me to. I bought it in California and is the only gun I possessed that is registered to me. It was registered in California where I bought it. Now it's replacement that I bought at Walmart here in Missouri is also registered to me.

 

[Sydney65]

[QUOTE="you say that the floor and run are hard cloth, are you saying that you put down welded 1/2" wire mesh on the floor and covered the ground within the chicken run with this w
yes, w / the sleigh runners they are 10" above ground. When it rains here the backyard stays soggy. I went to Menards & pulled a cpl pieces of damaged plywood for the coop and the run. They aren't perfect fits so there's a slight gap on edges, and toss hay on that. They seem to find plenty to scratch at, but they are free range during the day. The dirt bath issue is one of the reasons I suggest going bigger than you think. Their dirt bath is a kiddie pool. Not a big deal that it isn't inside bc I am home w/them, but most ppl wld want convenience- and they love scratching in it as well.
Used those videos to drive home my fear of critters bc DH thought I was being too picky. But you can see them pausing to consider handholds so they aren't completely smooth.
I've watched them-they climb the run side where there's wire and wood but so far avoid the metal. I don't have HC over windows,I wld feel better if we did, but himself insists it's unnecessary,they are out of reach from the run end. If I put it on inside I don't have access to open windows, and I'm not mechanically inclined to know how to attach to metal.
One thing I think I wld change is I'd raise the pop door. He put it at the bottom, and the ladies kick the straw out when doing their house cleaning. I put a block of wood there to try to stop it but the just kick higher. One of my favorite things to watch is tossing a chunk of straw in and watch the ladies go about spreading it. They're very precise about coverage.
Agreed re locks. We started with slide bolts. The back one would freeze up so we added a hasp w/padlock. The front, for the moment, is still the slide dead bolt. I think the door itself warped; I seriously have to lift up and push into get the slide in and out. That we're going to change. Sadly the only foe I haven't defeated so far was vehicular, but they tell, me creating my own "speed bumps" is illegal.

 

[Folly's place]

Figure out a way to get hardware cloth over all your window openings! You will regret not having it, well secured, over every opening larger than 1/2" diameter.
Mary

 

[GC-Raptor]

One more thing, what is bittersweet and how did you apply it.

Bittersweet is a climbing weed. It spreads swiftly and climbs fence, buildings and trees and will smother and kill trees by blocking sunlight.
If it doesn't find something to climb and touches the ground it will produce new roots and sprout in a new spot.

Here it's climbing a cedar tree.

GC

 

[Folly's place]

It can be evil stuff! here we have poison ivy, Virginia creeper, and wild grapes, all taking over the world!
Mary

 

[Sydney65]

(Shudders).. though not poisonous,approx.1% of the population is allergic to Virginia Creeper, making poison ivy look like cotton candy..

 

[Folly's place]

I didn't know that! Apparently I'm not then. The poison ivy is horrible, and this year those disposable hazmat suits aren't available like they were last year. I hate to use Roundup, and it doesn't work well on it anyway. And a flamethrower might be satisfying, but then again, no.
Mary

 

[Sydney65]

Oh were it that easy, but no, the smoke just gets the oil your lungs. I got a small rake that I can drag deep in the foliage of garden to pull it out with without touching it. I find childsize rakes work better for me than long handled ones.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/corona-raised-bed-garden-7-tine-rake-gt-3234?cm_vc=-10005