You don't need to make your chicken coop into a fortress to protect your birds from raccoons, but it helps. It really works! Other than that, my chickens stay in their very large run or they’re locked up in their coop at night. By doing this, they can stress the chickens or accidentally kill them. On a similar note, any weak spot in the coop’s walls or surroundings can easily be exploited by a raccoon. Many friends who have small flocks have purchased live traps to protect their birds but are unsure how to use them, or what to do afterward. Most people would want to have a solid roof … This can include pet food or even chicken food, which raccoons can smell from a great distance, and can actually invite them to consider your yard as a potential food source for up to three years later. Do Guard Geese Protect Chickens from Hawks. No matter what material you settle on, if it’s enough to stop a raccoon from tunneling into the safety of your coop, it should be more than enough to keep your coop and your chickens safe and sound. This doesn’t mean that you have to have wood planks two feet deep into the ground. Raccoons are primarily nocturnal, but, as they adapt more and more to human presence in their habitats, they are starting to hunt more during the day. Once you’ve identified a weak spot, you can plug the gap with steel wool, or plaster over it with more wood, or even put a metal mesh cover over the hole until you can fully repair it. One extra thing to take note of is the natural sleep cycle of raccoons. Do Backyard Chickens Attract Rats and Mice? Steel wool should be used instead of chicken wire to fill in gaps in your coop, but for lengths of fencing, you should be using something like hardware cloth fencing, so that raccoons can’t sneak their hands through the links and break into the coop. Remove all chicken feed and store it in a steel container (. So, how do you protect your flock so you do not have to worry about losing your poultry stock to raccoons, dogs, weasels, hawks, and more? how to keep predators from digging under the chicken coop, (That Won’t Get Your Chickens Murdered at Night). So in this post, I talk about the ins and outs of how to protect chickens from raccoons. One of the best ways to protect chickens from hawks, owls, and eagles is to make sure your chickens have lots of places to hide when a predator is flying overhead. Ideally, use hardware cloth with a fine mesh that raccoons can't reach through (use 1/2" or 1/4"). We had a big raccoon problem when we first bought our house. If extending the foundation is impractical, then make sure any obvious gaps are patched up, using the same tools you used to predator-proof your chicken coop in order to block out the raccoons as much as possible. If you have fruit trees, nut trees, or berry bushes on your property, check for and pick up ripe and fallen fruit. Most predators are nervous about crossing a yard with little to no place to hide. My favorite one is this light called PredatorGuard, which I got on Amazon. A raccoon’s clever nature and manual dexterity make them as much a threat to a coop as larger, stronger predators, and the fact that they carry diseases like rabies makes them as dangerous to humans as they are to chickens. My favorite lock to keep raccoons (and possibly humans) out of my chicken run is a weatherproof, titanium lock I got from Amazon and a hasp. BSTOOL Chicken Wire Net for Craft Projects,3 Sheets Lightweight Galvanized Hexagonal... Havahart 1045 Live Animal Two-Door Raccoon, Stray Cat, Opossum, and Groundhog Cage... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBZ9eHXiwic, Raccoon attacks chickens (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBZ9eHXiwic), How to Easily Determine What Killed Your Chickens, How to Stop Chickens from Pecking Each Other. Instead, try using small-mesh fencing material. I have 5 chickens now and they run free in the yard but when the chickens are out in the yard, the raccoon goes in there house and eats the food. And finally, make sure you protect your home as well as your chicken coop and run. Raccoons and other predators can tear right through it like tissue paper. They can fight off smaller predators such as skunks, weasels, and other rodents. The chicken coop is one of the easiest targets for raccoons because they know that it is a source of easy prey. Raccoons and other predators might still be hunting early in the morning. This will make sure that your line of sight remains clear, but will also prevent raccoons from being able to hide during the day or access the coop from a different angle at night. Finally, you may want to make sure that there are no large bushes or trees between your house and the chicken coop. Raccoon, fox, hawks, bears, bobcats and the neighborhood dog, are all capable of wiping out a flock. If trapping and relocating wildlife is illegal in your state, my recommendation is to contact a wildlife organization (such as wildlife rescue or animal control) to see what your options are at this point. Use a strong padlock openable only with a key. Do not leave feed in the run overnight as the raccoon might try to break in to get it. Good Night, Chickens Finally, it should go without saying that chickens must be tucked safely up in protected coops for the night. Eggs of the chickens are also known as the feast for predators. To make sure your yard and coop is a less attractive place for raccoons, dump out any source of water. This is because the raccoons are among the smartest of predators. To deter digging predators, dig a 12″ trench all the way around the … To protect your chicken coop from raccoons, mount four Nite Guard Solar lights on all four sides of the coop (one light per side) and position them at eye level to a raccoon (about 10–15 inches from the ground and centered corner to corner). Just make sure to do your research first because different states have different laws about trapping wildlife! You don’t want to make a trapped animal suffer in harsh conditions, like being in the hot sun for too long without water. Some might want to chase the chickens around. The last thing they want is to be caught. Another thing to consider when dealing with predators like raccoons–or, in many cases, rodents like rats and opossums–is that they can climb. However, they will make a lot of noise and sound a warning when a predator is near. Obviously, predator proofing your coop and run is very important. If you don’t know what a coop apron is, you definitely want to check my post on how to keep predators from digging under the chicken coop using a coop apron. You should also wait until later in the morning to let the chickens out. This website also participates in partner programs with CJ, ShareASale, Awin, Impact, and other sites. It’s so simple and cheap to make! Yuck. You don't want to know! You don’t need to make your chicken coop into a fortress to protect your chickens from raccoons, but it helps. Proper identification of the predatory threat is key to implementing the right solution to this problem and keeping your hens safe. I have a raccoon problem and I was wanting to know if the Guard Night light works. If something is attacking your chickens, the first thing you need to do is figure out which predator is to blame. So make sure to check around doors, windows, vents, and the roof for any gaps. Stop raccoons from invading your garbage bins by using a, Raccoons will eat any food left out at night, including chicken feed. However, because raccoons are small and agile, there are more factors to take into consideration that could be exploited, including: Raccoons may not have opposable thumbs, but they do have an unusually high number of sensory receptors in their “hands” (actually just extremely sensitive front paws), which allows them to perform extremely delicate actions like opening door or unhooking latches. PredatorGuard also scares deer, wolves, coyotes, foxes, skunks, and bears. Protecting them is like protecting your chickens. Another good way to frighten away potential predators is to install a lighting system around the coop. Bushes, large grasses, decks, and overhangs can be a perfect place to take shelter. The coop itself is the strongest source of protection for your chickens, and if it’s strong enough, it should do most of the work in deterring predators like raccoons from preying on your flock. Cover any gaps and vents with hardware cloth. And please note that raccoons can squeeze into very small holes. Install a Roof. Raccoons can also easily climb wood any chicken coop made out of wood. Also to know is, do raccoons attack chickens during the day? (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({}). Please, don't ask me how much this all costs to protect chickens from bobcats, mountain lions, bears, raccoons, weasels, mink, coyote, raccoon, fishers cats, etc. If there are any openings in your roof, make sure they are covered with a small-gap mesh or some other material that will make it impossible for a raccoon to sneak through. Chicken wire is more for keeping your chickens in than keeping predators out. Bury it or put an Apron on It. The coop itself is the strongest source of protection for your chickens, and if it’s strong enough, it should do most of the work in deterring predators like raccoons from preying on your flock. While chicken wire may seem like the perfect solution for filling in gaps in your chicken coop–it’s right there in the name, after all!–it’s sadly not enough to deter a hungry raccoon. Take Precautions: Defense. And please make sure to visit the trap often! Don’t leave your chickens in an open area. Raccoons have paws that work a lot like human hands and they’re very smart when it comes to opening your chicken coop door! Make sure to collect all eggs in the coop and surrounding areas. In many cases, predators will leave tracks or scat behind as evidence. Placing deterrent lights around the chicken coop is one of the best ways to create a raccoon-free property. So, if you get a dog, be sure to supervise them at first. Raccoons are also less likely to try to dig under coops, try to unlock doors, or try to break through a fence when they have to be in the open. Then, I have an automatic chicken door opener for my chicken coop that lets my hens out into their run (they free-range, but only when my dog is out to keep an eye on them). Think of raccoons as burglars. Raccoons also have a highly developed sense of smell, which can lead them directly to your chicken coop, but can also provide a way of warding them off. If you live in an area with lots of hawks and owls you will need to place a cover … However, there’s a potential problem with having a guard dog. In some states, it’s very illegal to trap and relocate a raccoon. Using a motion detector light at night is a possibility, although raccoons will quickly become used to it. Be especially careful to remove all eggs before nighttime. Protecting chickens from predators starts with building a secure hen yard: Make your hen house unappealing to predators. When those signs are absent, much can be inferred by the way in which the chickens are attacked. Identifying a chicken that was the victim of a raccoon attack is easy. Raccoons will also use your chickens’ waterer to wash their food. Potential Poultry Predators If you are new to raising chickens , you might not even be aware of what predators are around. For example; raccoons can easily open up … Areas, where raccoons are prevalent, will often offer light systems specifically to deter raccoons–motion activated alarm systems that will switch on a blinding light that should be enough to send the would-be coop-raider scurrying back for the safety of the darkness. So long as you make sure the inside of the coop is sealed against light so that your chickens can get a good night’s sleep, a blinding light can startle predators like raccoons into beating a hasty retreat. If the head of a raccoon can fit through a hole, they can squeeze their body through it. Even suburban flocks may be prey for opossums, foxes, and raccoons. This alone is enough to open up many new access routes for raccoons that may not be available for traditional predators like dogs or coyotes, and you have to plan accordingly when making sure your chicken coop is safe. Raccoons don’t like the scent of ammonia (and neither do most humans). Your chickens are likely to be safe roaming during the day, but they won't be so safe when the sun goes down. Another easy way to discourage raccoons from visiting your yard is to stop giving them food (intentionally or accidentally). I personally do not recommend this way of preventing raccoons from coming into your yard. If a raccoon has targeted your chickens and you’ve bought or borrowed a live trap, here are several steps to take to safeguard your birds. The Ultimate Guide to Raising Chickens for Eggs. You might also want to check out my most popular post: DIY Chicken Coop Plans (That Won’t Get Your Chickens Murdered at Night). Smooth internal edges protect animals from injury. Do not let your chickens … Galvanized hardware cloth is available at most home improvement supply stores, and the welded edge of the wires will make it far more difficult for raccoons to gain access. Raccoons can often be found rummaging around near chicken coops and will look for any opportunity to strike at a moment’s notice. Enclose your chickens in a secure coop at night. Raccoons may be clever, but they are still wild animals, and, like most wild animals, can be easily startled or frightened away by the presence of a human guard for the chicken coop. Your email address will not be published. Guard Geese are territorial and can help protect your flock of chickens. Chickens when they stop Laying eggs left out at night, facing out in all directions. 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