Massacre in Chicken Coop

[lesa]

Oh, no!! I am so sorry that you had to make that discovery. I agree with the others- trap it and kill it. You won't feel safe again, if you know it is still out there...

 

[Nyboy]

Have a trapper coming out this afternoon. He said it will be easy to trap, raccoons here have no fear of people. I didn't ask what he would do when he caught it, but I know we have very strick wildlife laws here. While I know another will take his place I didnt want to take a chance of one my dogs messing with it.

 

[thistlebloom]

That's horrible NYboy. So sorry.

 

[bj taylor]

gosh nyboy, so very sorry this happened. it's a terrible thing. I think about how the chickens are trapped in a space with no where to run. these kind of predators are ruthless. I had lost 10 out of 14 a while back. it's devastating. the thing for me was to fix my weak point & be more vigilant, and keep doing that. eventually, you will have taken security to a level they can't breach.
I have liked to think my coop is predator proof - but your case shows me that not even hardware cloth is enough protection if the attachment is a weak link.

really sorry

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

So sorry nyboy. That is a tough one to have to see and take care of.

 

[ninnymary]

Oh no, I lost a speckle sussex that was at point of lay to a racoon. The automated chicken door that I loved malfunction. I just cried when it happened. My sweet husband drove 1 1/2 hr. to get another one only to find out later that it was a roo.

Sorry for your loss, it's a sick feeling when we discover it.

Mary

 

[baymule]

Nyboy, I am so sorry. I live in town too, but we have raccoons, possums, hawks, snakes and the occasional eagle here. At least no bears-whew! Go over your coop with a fine tooth comb. Really look it over like you are the hungry predator with HANDS that work as good as ours do, and STRENGTH to tear into a stronghold in search of food and sport. Raccoons kill everything. I am so sorry you had this happen to you and your girls. Remember, coons have all night to work at getting into your coop and they are smart.

If there are a lot of predators in your neighborhood, you might want to consider a live catch trap and a large trash can to submerge it in. You can't shoot in the city limits without attracting attention that you don't want, but dropping the trap in water is silent and it removes THAT predator from ever coming back. If you trap someone's cat, you can just let it go with no harm to it. You mentioned a trapper coming to catch it. I don't know what he will charge, if there is a LOT of coons, you might want to think about trapping them yourself.

You might want to check into a good outside dog as well. I have a Great Pyrenees that was given to me because she killed chickens. The stupid people that had her turned her loose on 3 acres with chickens running everywhere and left her unsupervised. She was a puppy, for heavens sake. What do puppies do when confronted with lots of "squeaky toys"? They PLAY with them! The people punished her horribly, because for a long time after I got her, she HATED the chickens and would rush the wire snarling at them. She inadvertently protected them, because they were in "her" yard. It took awhile and a lot of patience, but now she is the best "chicken dog" anybody could want. Nothing, I mean nothing, comes in her yard. She has treed several raccoons and possums in the trees around our yard, but none have ever came in the yard, or they would be dead.

This is Paris with her entourage.

 

[lesa]

What a great rescue story, Baymule! How lucky she was to find you... My dog yard is adjacent to the chicken yard. I often wonder if the smell of the dogs keeps some predators at bay. They are not out at night- but I suppose critters can tell they have been around?

 

[catjac1975]

If you catch and drown the raccoon do not get caught by the police.

Nyboy, I am so sorry. I live in town too, but we have raccoons, possums, hawks, snakes and the occasional eagle here. At least no bears-whew! Go over your coop with a fine tooth comb. Really look it over like you are the hungry predator with HANDS that work as good as ours do, and STRENGTH to tear into a stronghold in search of food and sport. Raccoons kill everything. I am so sorry you had this happen to you and your girls. Remember, coons have all night to work at getting into your coop and they are smart.

If there are a lot of predators in your neighborhood, you might want to consider a live catch trap and a large trash can to submerge it in. You can't shoot in the city limits without attracting attention that you don't want, but dropping the trap in water is silent and it removes THAT predator from ever coming back. If you trap someone's cat, you can just let it go with no harm to it. You mentioned a trapper coming to catch it. I don't know what he will charge, if there is a LOT of coons, you might want to think about trapping them yourself.

You might want to check into a good outside dog as well. I have a Great Pyrenees that was given to me because she killed chickens. The stupid people that had her turned her loose on 3 acres with chickens running everywhere and left her unsupervised. She was a puppy, for heavens sake. What do puppies do when confronted with lots of "squeaky toys"? They PLAY with them! The people punished her horribly, because for a long time after I got her, she HATED the chickens and would rush the wire snarling at them. She inadvertently protected them, because they were in "her" yard. It took awhile and a lot of patience, but now she is the best "chicken dog" anybody could want. Nothing, I mean nothing, comes in her yard. She has treed several raccoons and possums in the trees around our yard, but none have ever came in the yard, or they would be dead.

This is Paris with her entourage.

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/uploads/7949_paris_and_pullets.jpg

 

[catjac1975]

I agree a good dog is a deterrent. I cannot imagine a coon tangling with a dog. I also think you will need to continue to trap your own raccoons as the population is probably high. Drowning is the best way if you can stomach it. Just keep the chicken carnage in mind. When you clean up the dog poo put it on the outside of the chicken run. And what about bobcat urine used in the same way?