Cayenne Pepper and Scaring Raccoons

[Evadig]

At midnight yesterday I was looking out my window and I saw this big dark shape approach my turkey house. My heart stopped when I saw the silhouette of a fat raccoon sitting on their unscreened porch. I ran out and scared him away but spent the next two hours watching in case he came back. Since I needed to get to sleep I googled how to scare away a raccoon and one solution was to put cayenne pepper spray around the targeted area, which I did. Has anyone ever tried this and did you have any success? I cannot eradicate this raccoon because there’s plenty more to take his place. I just want to scare him badly enough where he won’t come back.

 

[McChooky]

I use it around my coops and runs and it seems to keep them away .My coop is predator proof and has a apron around the bottom but I don't like to take chances.If your coop isn't predator proof coop you can also use ammonia. Just use it on the outside to keep out diggers (don't use it around their windows)Ammonia and the smell of smoke are strong deterrents.

 

[Evadig]

Thank you! My coops are predator deterrent but not proof especially if it’s a really determined varmint. I live in the Panhandle area so I think raccoons and fishers are my worst predators.

 

[mowin]

Those tactics will work, sometimes. But at some point they won't. A predator deterrent needs to be upgraded to predator proof.
Yes, more will take that ones place eventually, but I wouldn't hesitate to shoot it.

 

[Evadig]

I have never handled a gun before in my life, sorry! And alas, I am one of those people who can’t get themselves to kill anything bigger than a mosquito. I am working on making my coops predator proof, but for now I have to make due. Thank you for the advice though .

 

[McChooky]

I have never handled a gun before in my life, sorry! And alas, I am one of those people who can’t get themselves to kill anything bigger than a mosquito. I am working on making my coops predator proof, but for now I have to make due. Thank you for the advice though .

The strongest argument for predator proof coops is the chickens and predators get to live.

 

[McChooky]

Those tactics will work, sometimes. But at some point they won't. A predator deterrent needs to be upgraded to predator proof.
Yes, more will take that ones place eventually, but I wouldn't hesitate to shoot it.

We're in 100% agreement on that one!

 

[Soujrnr]

My game cameras pick up multiple racoons every night. They can't get in because I built my coop like Fort Knox. However, I'd really like to just deter them from coming near at all. I have 2x4 welded wire covering the coop and the 18-ft. run, and on top of that is 1/4" HC. If anything can get through both layers of wire, they deserve a chicken. I also have buried 1/4" HC underground around the entire perimeter of the coop and run out to around 12-18 inches. I'm wondering if I should put cayenne pepper around the perimeter as well. I do have motion-activated lights, but they don't care about those, nor do they care about the audible alarm when the lights activate. They were scared off once, but soon learned the noise wasn't a problem. Smart little buggers.

 

[Evadig]

All my birds are moved into their new pen now. I did put cayenne pepper around their old houses while they were still living in them but I don’t know if it worked because I didn’t stay up every night to find out.
My dad shot off a couple Roman candles right at the raccoon when we had a particularly persistent visitor last year - after that we didn’t have trouble for a long time

 

[ViKulik]

Hopefully he found something easier somewhere else and lost interest. If not then You are on his nightly patrol and he will keep coming and testing the wire and latches until there are no more chickens, he gets run over, pushed out or killed by a more dominant animal, possibly one of your human neighbors. When it comes to "predator proof" pay extra attention to the corners and bottom two feet of the run. Coons like to circle till chickens run to a corner then reach out to grab them. And keep checking for damage, wire gets old and weaker over the years as they keep pulling on it and trying to find a way in.