Hey, Will Raccoons Eat My Chickens?

[corgimomleylifaller]

Our dogs were barking at the grasshopper farting in the grass. At least, that's what we initially thought. Then, my husband spotted a bandit with stripes peering into our 2nd floor window, straight across from the top of his garage...he was LARGE!!! He told me with baited breath about the size of this interloper staring back at him, and thought of the different colored eggs that I collect everyday. Now, a raccoon might eat these eggs, but now I'm wondering, could a large raccoon devour my beautiful bird babies? Just asking for advice and information from some of you long time chicken mommies, if this may be a threat? If so, shotgun is handy....my husband says that this furry character is probably around 40 or 50lbs. and our dogs are not big enough to handle him. Ignore, trap or shoot it?

definitely do not ignore it I would try to trap it and then if you have a river nearby or something like that take it there.i would try putting any scraps that you have in the trap to try and lure the raccoon to the trap and then release it in the wild once you have it trapped put some water in there with the scraps. we just recently had a raccoon get into our chicken coop and kill eight of our chickens so yes I would also keep the gun handy just in case but definitely don't shoot it until you absolutely need to or you absolutely have to and don't have any other choices. not sure if you guys knew this or not but you can actually let your cats stay in the coop with your chickens and they won't be bothered by the cats. the cats actually bond with the chickens.they will pounce but that is actually just their playful, predatory instinct. they even end up bonding so much that they end up protecting the chickens from other predators and other animals that could get the chickens. watch them around little chicks though.

 

[McChooky]

definitely do not ignore it I would try to trap it and then if you have a river nearby or something like that take it there.i would try putting any scraps that you have in the trap to try and lure the raccoon to the trap and then release it in the wild once you have it trapped put some water in there with the scraps. we just recently had a raccoon get into our chicken coop and kill eight of our chickens so yes I would also keep the gun handy just in case but definitely don't shoot it until you absolutely need to or you absolutely have to and don't have any other choices.

I'm sorry for your loss! We have coons come by frequently at night but we have a secure coop.We have 2 inside dogs we trained and I put them out with the chickens during the day.
Coons absolutely hate a dog

 

[corgimomleylifaller]

I'm sorry for your loss! We have coons come by frequently but we have 2 inside dogs we put them out with the chickens during the day.
Coons absolutely hate a dog

we don't even let our little dogs out because they get our chickens too

 

[corgimomleylifaller]

not sure if you guys knew this or not but you can actually let your cats stay in the coop with your chickens and they won't be bothered by the cats. the cats actually bond with the chickens.they will pounce but that is actually just their playful, predatory instinct. they even end up bonding so much that they end up protecting the chickens from other predators and other animals that could get the chickens. watch them around little chicks though.

 

[Love Donkeys]

Kill the dang critter! I've paid 1000's for the damage caused by those damned raccoons. Kill it and bury it.

I agree with you 1000%! They are VERY destructive. They WILL kill your poultry. They will keep trying to get to the poultry until they succeed. In the morning you will open your coop and instead of seeing your beautiful birds you will be looking at the Raccoons "killing field"....
They are also destructive to other buildings on your property. This is what a 100'x70' foot barn looks like after a Raccoon family chew through wire installation when they they are making themselves a comfortable new home.

We were lucky, none of our livestock were in the barn. Not only did we loose the barn, we lost two hay balers, hay mowers, a 4 y/o Truckcamper, 90hp and 130hp tractors. It took over 3 months to inventory all the lost equipment. The insurance companie only paid for the barn, they stated we didn't have the equipment listed when we took out the policy.

 

[Love Donkeys]

Wow. I might re-think the latches. I might try to find out which latches they could not open. Thank you.

We had a 300lb steer calf that was a 4-H project of our daughter. Every night she would bring him into the barn and hook is collar with a double snap to his cross tie stall chain. By morning he was loose! She started to use 2 double snaps on his collar, each double snap facing a different direction. That worked for about 2 weeks then he figured it out. When she applied the 3rd double snap he stayed put. I believe it was not all the different snaps but because morning came before he could unsnap the 3rd one....

What I'm getting at is if a calf can open double snaps with just his tongue, hungry predators have all night, every night to come up with a strategy to defeat your poultry defenses....

 

[WunnySharbit]

I'm sorry if I missed this in someone else's post.....

Unfortunately, a live and let live philosophy will not work with them. In addition to the diseases they can carry (rabies, distemper), they are a host for a parasitic brain worm. It is usually fatal in dogs and can be spread to humans! Some who are comfortable in their territory (your porch/yard) will defend it from you. By all means, secure the coop and use repellents, but also be aware of the other dangers.
True story: We had our resident male racoon, huge, rip the metal roof off our hutch! He found a weak spot, tore a hole in it, and headed for the buffet. Luckily, our Easter egger will wake up at night and is a screamer! She lost a couple tail feathers.... Now they live in a shed with a concrete floor.

In addition, the moms will bring their kids, 2-6 of them, and teach them how to hunt. My daughter lost all of her 4h birds in one night (10) this way. They grab the bird, then bite and crush the beak/skull. It's not pretty nor is it immediately fatal. On these hunting lessons, the goal is killing, not eating.

Disney and YouTube makes them look adorable, but they are not.

 

[TOR]

I agree with you 1000%! They are VERY destructive. They WILL kill your poultry. They will keep trying to get to the poultry until they succeed. In the morning you will open your coop and instead of seeing your beautiful birds you will be looking at the Raccoons "killing field"....
They are also destructive to other buildings on your property. This is what a 100'x70' foot barn looks like after a Raccoon family chew through wire installation when they they are making themselves a comfortable new home.View attachment 4094151
We were lucky, none of our livestock were in the barn. Not only did we loose the barn, we lost two hay balers, hay mowers, a 4 y/o Truckcamper, 90hp and 130hp tractors. It took over 3 months to inventory all the lost equipment. The insurance companie only paid for the barn, they stated we didn't have the equipment listed when we took out the policy. View attachment 4094162

Fires are bad, sorry for your lose. I had one years ago where I live now. The old original farmhouse. Came home down the half mile town road to all the bright red lights, smoke and 2 chimneys left standing. Theres a saying,"you dont know what you have till you dont have it anymore" I get raccoon problems the traps come out till the trouble makers are gone.

 

[Zenmonkey]

Trapping and relocating furbearers, raccoons included, is some of the worst advice imaginable. It is also typically illegal everywhere in the US and most other first world countries.

I understand that killing a pest is unpleasant. However typically the only legal recourse for the casual back yard chicken keeper in a first world country is to contact professional wildlife control companies that are licensed for pest control.

Is there a reason that posts describing possible violations of other laws are monitored and removed, but posts about violating game laws are OK?

 

[McChooky]

I'm sorry if I missed this in someone else's post.....

Unfortunately, a live and let live philosophy will not work with them. In addition to the diseases they can carry (rabies, distemper), they are a host for a parasitic brain worm. It is usually fatal in dogs and can be spread to humans! Some who are comfortable in their territory (your porch/yard) will defend it from you. By all means, secure the coop and use repellents, but also be aware of the other dangers.
True story: We had our resident male racoon, huge, rip the metal roof off our hutch! He found a weak spot, tore a hole in it, and headed for the buffet. Luckily, our Easter egger will wake up at night and is a screamer! She lost a couple tail feathers.... Now they live in a shed with a concrete floor.

In addition, the moms will bring their kids, 2-6 of them, and teach them how to hunt. My daughter lost all of her 4h birds in one night (10) this way. They grab the bird, then bite and crush the beak/skull. It's not pretty nor is it immediately fatal. On these hunting lessons, the goal is killing, not eating.

Disney and YouTube makes them look adorable, but they are not.

One time a coon went under a double wide we rented and destroyed a T in the ductwork .It caused the registers to put out warm air close to the furnace and thermostat but other rooms were cold. The landlord evicted us because the repair bill was so high and the court allowed it under the condition she not rent it to anyone else for 5 years