When traps aren't the answer...

[Lunar Ice]

Venting because I'm so fustrated...I've lost a bunch of my flock, including my gorgeous little buff silkies (they were NICE ones, too!) and a beautiful porcelain roo that I was quite fond of - not to mention a bunch of my other birds. I KNOW it's a raccoon and a large opossum doing it but every time I lay down my traps I end up catching a cat or my neighbor's dog.

I don't know what else to do.... There is a big problem around here with stray cats because people nearby don't take care of their "pets" (and I've already rescued a few of them and gotten them fixed or found them new homes). I've baited my traps with catfood (and therefore, I catch the cats), I've baited them with marshmellows and get no results. I KNOW it's a raccoon because I've caught the bugger out there carrying off my birds, but it ran off before we could shoot it. Same with the opossum. I already have it out for this raccoon anyway because it loves to knock over my garbage cans (ones with the locking tops, no less) and tear open all the bags when it doesn't get a chicken.

I'm strongly considering an electric fence to go along the bottom outside of the pen. That...or I'm getting a big dog that eats raccoons for breakfast (for some reason, I just don't think my cowardly yorkie is up to the challenge...or willing to give up his fluffy fleece bed).

 

[busyteacher]

Hopefully you can catch it soon. We have several racoons but they don't bother our chickens. They just get into our feed room.

 

[effie]

keep trying the marshmallows and put some peanut butter on them. The cats won't like them so much--but you will eventually get the coon-patience....

it took me a couple of nights....after weeks of reading the stuff on here that happens to chickens I am beginning to hate coons!!!! What the he$$ did they eat before your chickens were there!!!! AGH!!!!!!! they need to go back to that!!!!

 

[Lunar Ice]

My cats LOVE peanut butter actually....but they're weird.


I'm going to set my traps again tonight and HOPE I get one of them. It just seems like the darn thing wants the chickens more than it wants anything else. I want it to eat lead and gunpowder, personally....but hey, if it needs to dine on marshmellows and peanut butter as an appetitizer...I'll try that. My husband has an aversion to killing raccoons because he thinks that they are cute and look too much like our ferret....but I think he's getting over it. He's tired of having to rebag garbage and he doesn't like that we're losing our chickens. If all else fails I can get my neighbor to shoot the thing if I trap it.

I hate shooting animals (I'm a big animal lover...I'd save just about ANY creature in need of help)....but it's killing *MY* pets that I've raised and cared for..not to mention, I've spent a LOT of money on. As it is, I need to replace my silkies...and since I want show-quality birds, they aren't cheap...providing I can find someone selling eggs. Right now, my incubator is full...so in a few weeks, I guess I'm going to have to do some silkie egg-hunting.

 

[mxpres]

Quote:
An electric fence with double strands along the bottom several inches from the ground will help a lot.Your yorkie will be no match for a nasty raccoon,,If it did have the nerve to tackle the raccoon it would be injured seriously injured or killed

 

[RHRanch]

How about your housing? Some pics or description? Maybe there is a way to stop your predator problem through exclusion. If it's a racoon, most likely this happens at night & early morning, right? When they are in the coop? I bet it could be fixed where the racoon can't get in? Can we see and offer some housing advice?

 

[Lunar Ice]

I wouldn't actually ever let my yorkie try to defend the house...he's a cuddle, indoor dog only. Besides, he's scared of everything EXCEPT chickens (go figure).


I can take some pictures of my pen tomorrow. It's too dark out right now.
Basically, the pen is a chain link fence that I have secured with layers of chicken wire that I have literally wove wire throuh (so they can't lift/dig it up) the links. The chicken wire is 1/4" - 1/2". It has a layered (secured) vinyl panel roof.

My roosters usually sleep in the nest/boxes....but my hens all line up on the perches. Typically, the raccoon manages to scare/knock them off and then eats them right through the darn chicken wire after biting off their heads and wings. The problem for me is that the darn raccoon is STRONG, it can bend/pull and even bite the wire enough to make an opening large enough to drag the chickens through the bottom. The pen itself sits firmly on the ground, it's literaly dagging them THROUGH the chainlink and then wrangling them under the chicken wire. My husband and I spent HOURS the other day wiring the bottom of the cage DOWN to prevent this problem..but still, every morning, it's the same thing. I'm using 14g aluminum wire..it's just relentless and determined.

 

[dainerra]

Quote:
a raccoon can kill a pretty big dog. A big boar coon can top 40lbs and it's not uncommon for raccoons to travel in packs. If they are near water, they will actually lure the dog into chasing them and drown it by holding it's head underwater. If a raccoon feels cornered, he will have no problems fighting it out with a large dog.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/1448664...ws/t/theyre-urban-raccoons-theyre-not-afraid/

 

[RHRanch]

i think the electric could help - also, making an wire apron, buried and concreted at least 12" below ground level.

 

[Lunar Ice]

Just wanted to say that I really do appreciate the help and suggestions guys. I know I'm not alone with having these kind of problems, it helps knowing how others have overcame it.