What to do about the raccoons?

[sheriffjohn]

Missouri Coons are tough and smart. I live justsouth of Hannibal, Mo. The BEST investment has been in an "Automatic Chicken Door". Opens in the morning and closes at night at the times you set. Not cheap (around $300) but it really works. Flock learns in about two nights when to come inside. Birds are totally free-range, visit on porch, deck, and visit inside my garage. Follow the dogs around, etc. We have no bugs and few ticks thanks to the birds.

Coons are vicious. They will kill your dog if they can get to deep enough water, climbing on a dog's head and drowning the dog. I lost over 30 chickens in one week when we were away from home before installing the automatic door. Invest in a professional, heavy-duty live trap (around $50 if you can find them) - much better than Hav-A-Hearts. I use an electric cattle fencer around my sweet corn. Until I did, coons would ruin a 1/4 acre patch in a couple of nights - just before it was ripe.

They've pulled 1 X 4 boards loose to get in the hen house, pried up steel roofing, and come into our house through dog doors to eat food from the dog bowls. A coon returning to his buddies will have the others smelling their breath to see what they've been eating and, soon you'll have several together feeding. I used to relocate to Mark Twain Lake (20 mile drive) until mange infected ones here. Over population breeds disease, relocating spreads disease.

They watch your house and wait until activity ceases, dogs are inside for the night, etc. and come to feed. I've had owls take a few hens, coyotes, and even a bald eagle once but other than dogs, nothing is as hard on chickens as the Missouri Raccoon.

 

[GC-Raptor]

What I'm thinking, after hearing you folks, is that we have trapped a racoon racoon in that space under the shop. What do you think?

I'm not sure, but I can tell you what's living under my shed. A Groundhog, yep I've seen it come and go many times.
I bet they can chew wire.
It doesn't bother the chickens except when it gets to close to their pen, then they freak out a little. But they don't eat chicken and it hasn't tunneled into the pens. GC

 

[Sarkchick]

Unfortunately, the racoons love to take off the chicken's heads and then just leave the rest of the body. I'm not sure if it's a delicacy to them or just fun. The racoons have to go!

In my area I have had possum remove the heads on camera. The raccoons eat, strip down to the bone. Dislike them all

 

[susanb1222]

Please don't feed them. I had raccoons killing full grown turkey hens last year, and quite a few of my chickens and ducks.

Raccoons can carry all kinds of diseases including rabies. They belong out in the woods, not under your shed.

Shooting them is the most humane way to dispatch them if your aim is true. Head or heart.

We have gotten 3 very large ones this year right up in our yard at night. I hate to think what would happen if my dogs got tangled up with one.

 

[susanb1222]

In my area I have had possum remove the heads on camera. The raccoons eat, strip down to the bone. Dislike them all

 

[susanb1222]

I lost many chickens to Coyotes. Found the perfect solution. An Ultrasonic device that emits sounds only the Racoons can hear. It also has a motion detector activates a strobe light. The Guardian Pest Control on Amazon

 

[Cluckminster Fuller]

Make sure your coop is completely sealed except for small screen for air. Make sure it is tightly attached as raccoons will use their "hands" to pull it open enough to get in. They can get through very small spaces. They WILL slaughter your chickens if they can get to them.
If you are unable or unwilling to shoot them, set a humane trap and bait it with their food. You will have to get one at a time most likely. Then relocate them by moving them out to the country at least 15-20 miles away from you, and hopefully away from others. You can put them all in the same location if you make sure you aren't just moving the problem to another person.
The final/best solution is a guard dog or 2. That worked for me until my dog died. Within days of the my chickens had been slaughtered. Two dogs are best, but one will do.
PS I try to keep possums as they eat tons of ticks and I have lots of deer.

 

[Cluckminster Fuller]

I lost many chickens to Coyotes. Found the perfect solution. An Ultrasonic device that emits sounds only the Racoons can hear. It also has a motion detector activates a strobe light. The Guardian Pest Control on Amazon

I will try this!

 

[Sam66]

I just got my new flock of Buff Orpingtons moved into their coop that I built. (not quite finished yet) I live 20 minutes west of Lebanon, Missouri in the wooded area with all sorts of predators out here and I can't find it in me to cage up my birds.

I have a family of 6 raccoons living on my property, underneath an old out building. I have 4 guineas left and they have been around for quite a while. The raccoons seem not to be interested in them and the guineas don't seem to pay any attention to the raccoons. When the evening comes, and lately in the daytime also, they have been raiding the guineas crumble. I figure the raccoons are smart enough to know that as long as they don't eat the birds, the supply of crumble will continue. It's something I believe they learned 3 seasons ago when the killed my last chicken and then there was no food.

Last night at about 1AM, I had an incident of a squawking commotion coming from the chicken coop. When I got out there, 2 hens were wandering in a daze outside of the coop and the door was unlatched. This morning when I went out to open the coop for them, I found that I had lost 2 birds, one of my bird's skin is missing from behind the left eye to the top of her head, and another hen seems to have her tail feathers missing. The bolt latch I have on the coop was unlatched. I really don't think that I forgot to latch the door last night but I am now 74 and am prone to do stupid things like that. From previous experiences with raising foul, I am aware of how smart and dexterous raccoons are. I had one unlatch a cage to reach inside and take my prize pheasant. I don't know what type of critter it was that caused the mayhem last night, but I looked all around on the ground for any paw prints and for any indication that a raccoon might have scaled the coop wall to reach the latch but found nothing. I still can't say for certain that it was a racoon but they are the obvious suspect. (There are possums too.) I know raccoons are not the cute cuddly things that they pretend to be but still, to eradicate their threat, it would mean killing a whole family of them. I was thinking about perhaps I could appease them by filling their bellies with cheap cat food every day so that they wouldn't think about my chickens. But then, they are omnivores just like us and like variety, but then why are they leaving my last 4 guineas alone?

I have guns and can do what has to be done but shooting them would be my very last resort. I am hoping to get feedback from others that also respect the God given fundamental right to life, no mater what creature it is. Is there a more practicle solution then killing them? If killing them is the bottom line is ther a more humane way of doing it then shooting them. I killed one 3 years ago with my 9mm. and they do not dye easily. I had to put 4 rounds in him. Before I fired the last round, he turned his head to look straight up at me in pain, anger, anxiety, and fear, That vision will stick with me forever.

Oh my goodness! They need to be disposed of! Trap them and kill them. I just bought dog proof traps to get the furry pests that have been dining on my chickens. In fact, I just set two out for the first time tonight. They're fine in the wild, but once they start killing my birds -- all bets are off. If you have a tough time doing them in yourself, ask around. You'll be surprised how many people don't mind, and are willing to take care of them humanely. BTW, shooting them is probably the most humane way, drowning would be another choice. I watched trappers on youtube, and some lead to the head acted quickly.

 

[merrymutts]

I live near you and we have had a raccoon problem this year as well. All but wiped out my baby chicks and made off with a couple of guinea keets too. Just replaced the netting with wire on top of my baby pen and will still be locking them up at night. Odd....they don''t mess with the adult birds