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I lost at 12 chickens to Coons. I now have taken out 3 of them and waiting for more. My chicken were so scared that just one night in a new place they gladly took it up. Normally it take over a week to get them change their roosting place.

So the tally is
12 chickens
3 Raccoons (and counting)

First live trap (old trap) was basically destroyed by the second coon. So got two more new traps but they just keeping tripping them. The last live animal traps are too sensitive so I desensitized them this morning.

But I went and got a steel trap yesterday, the $10 Steel trap got one last night. But I got to get a curly Q stake as the one last pulled the 12" bolt over halfway out of the ground.

As I said have declared WAR on these coons. They started it but I will finish it.

In the past year, I've lost 2 chickens. One to a hawk and one to a possum. What nasty little things. I had to install a trap door on my coop. I open it in the morning and close it at night. No deaths since.

IF your coup doesn't a floor I highly recommend install a heavy wire bottom and partially up the walls. I referring something like a 1 x 1 welded wire mesh of tighter. I had to do that to previous coup and it saved my flock several times. The second night after I wired that coup a fox tunneled under the coup. He got trapped when his caved in and he didn't survive the .22 lead poisoning the next morning.

Having an entrance door the can be closed is good as even owls enter if not closed up. I had that problem too. Yes I have gone over board on securing the coup at times.

So far this one was safe for the last ten years after mink attack that took 22 chickens in two attacks about 10 years ago..He also died of .22 lead poisoning. Vicious little breast. It just recently the coons struck. This is my second go around with coons. The last time it was only two and they were relocated 25 miles away at the city dump.

It is looking like I going need build a new large coup for my flock with all the security method I have learned over the years.

Daytime attacks are just as hard to defend against but that's what the 12 ga is for with "T" shot. Luckily they are a lot less than nighttime attacks.

I do have a Floor, the coop is a little bit off the ground. The hawk snatched the chicken when they were roaming free and the possum got one during night by going through the chicken door of the coop.

That is one of the problem free ranging as is vehicles.

As coup door you may need to add a strip along the bottom to keep them getting a hold of the door bottom if it is a sliding down door. Darn coons will lift the door up to get in but they got get a hold on it first. That extra lip keeps the paws off the bottom edge. I had that door on a pulley system so I could let the crew out in the five sided pen. Four sides and a top.

Here the coons first dug under the barn back side. I set up traps there. Then they start climbing the wall and going between the rafters. I spent six hours Saturday blocking off those rafters areas. Then last night after tripping both live animal traps, tried to dig in at the entrance. He apparently gave up and took going after the bait. That when he step on the steel trap. By the time I got up this morning at crack of dawn he had manage to pull the securing stake halfway out of the ground.

So far haven't had problems with coons and chickens, but the coop is close to the house and my 2 dogs.
I did lose 1 chicken to a coon a few years ago, I killed at least a dozen the following month. I think they got the message to stay away, but I still see a lot of coon tracks by the pond.

I hope it not that many...but only time will tell. They struck again last night finding yet another way in. Lost that battle but many more to come. I definitely I got a whole group of them to battle with. At least I have secured the flock at night. Just baiting the coons now. I just keep having them tripping the live traps so I increase the anti trip pressure yet again. Now it will take a lot more pressure on the trigger to trip. And I keeping the steel set up each evening.

This is sounding a lot like the Ukrainians and the Russians battling; one night I have a win and the next night I lose. At least I keep fortifying the defenses. These are smart beasts that I dealing with. Might end up having to stay up all night with the shotgun in my lap.

Definitely after this is over I will keep the traps set nightly from now on. I am sick and tired of losing my pets. And that neighbor that feeds wildlife at night isn't helping things either. A good friend, just hope he understands where I stand on this.

I don't have animals but my bro in law across the creek from me does. Years ago we built the high rent district chicken house. He has never lost a bird as he puts them in every night and it has 7' fence around it. We still remove quite a few coons and ground hogs a year from the planet because they make poor life choices.

Sounds like the shotgun might be your best bet.

Craftsman Garage said:

Sounds like the shotgun might be your best bet.

Click to expand...

But I might fall asleep and one them grabs the gun and shoot me. They might have been watching YouTube videos.

I just hoping it not like the gal in Washington State that had 100+ of them at her place. If that happens I will need out the re-reinforcements.

StarTech said:

I lost at 12 chickens to Coons. I now have taken out 3 of them and waiting for more. My chicken were so scared that just one night in a new place they gladly took it up. Normally it take over a week to get them change their roosting place.

So the tally is
12 chickens
3 Raccoons (and counting)

First live trap (old trap) was basically destroyed by the second coon. So got two more new traps but they just keeping tripping them. The last live animal traps are too sensitive so I desensitized them this morning.

But I went and got a steel trap yesterday, the $10 Steel trap got one last night. But I got to get a curly Q stake as the one last pulled the 12" bolt over halfway out of the ground.

As I said have declared WAR on these coons. They started it but I will finish it.

Click to expand...

Chain trap to full size cement block, you can move it around easily, but the largest coon will be out done by it, r

I am at a crease fire level right now on the coons part. Apparently I got the ring leader which was a large male. I estimate he weigh close to 20lbs. Still being visited but they are just hunting new ways in but they haven't found any in the last week.

Strange the vultures and possums wont touch them. Normally they eat about everything.

StarTech said:

I am at a crease fire level right now on the coons part. Apparently I got the ring leader which was a large male. I estimate he weigh close to 20lbs. Still being visited but they are just hunting new ways in but they haven't found any in the last week.

Strange the vultures and possums wont touch them. Normally they eat about everything.

Click to expand...

yeah ive never seen a buzzard around any of the coons i've tossed in the woods. Sometimes the whole body will just disappear overnight and sometimes they just decompose.

I had raccoons raiding my squirrel-proof bird feeder on my back deck. They figured out how to open the metal latch on the lid and eat ALL the sunflower seeds. So I wired the lid shut. They took the feeder off the hook and dropped it on the ground about 20 feet down. They turned the feeder upside down, emptying it, and they again ate all the seed. So I secured the feeder to the hook so it could not be removed. They then shook the feeder, like a salt shaker, and emptied the feeder again. So I dosed the seed with hot sauce. In a few days they learned to like hot sauce. So I rigged a popper from a party store to the lid, the kind where you pull a string and it explodes and streamers and confetti comes out. I put it on the bottom of the feeder with a long enough lead so the raccoon would have his face fully inside the feeder when it went off. Then we all gathered in the living room with the lights off and were well rewarded when a big old coon got the fright of his life, as did his family on my deck. They all ran and the big one had streamers on him. We laughed and laughed. Thirty minutes later they were all back. They had trained me. Made sure the feeder was empty or near empty before sunset.

They are a worthy opponent. Hope the cease fire holds, but so long as the neighbor has the cafeteria open, expect to see future generations come to test your ramparts.

Yes it is a battle of wits. And I am learning their tricks and quickly putting up roadblocks as they try new things. Re-enforcements is key to beating them. Right now they really have to work at it to get any more of my flock. Meanwhile are going to get pretty hungry if they don't leave which may just be the key in getting more of them. Buying a pack of chicken today just for them which will be just out of reach.

Raccoons eat cat food- maybe put out plenty of it with water between their entry points and the Chickens.

They turned it down for the chickens.

Sorry but this is not a catch and release alive battle any more; although, I will relocated them out in the soybean field where they become fertilizer since the buzzards won't even touch them. They intended to wipe out my whole flock so I am returning the favor.

Relocating them alive just moves the problem to somewhere else.