egglicious Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 We hear so much about the nasty little foxes on this forum, but here in the US we deal mostly with those masked bandits with opposable thumbs called raccoons. I don't have my cube yet, but I would really appreciate any advice from american eglu lovers dealing with raccoons. I know when I finally get my girls I am going to want them to be as safe as possible so many thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 Are raccoons cute? I'd love to see one! I don't think raccoons would have the strength to undo any of the locking mechanisms on an Omlet product - I struggle with my eggport and I'm a well built lady! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 I live in Hampshire and there was a picture recently in the local paper of a racoon in a garden, they think it must have escaped from a private collection or zoo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 I live in Hampshire and there was a picture recently in the local paper of a racoon in a garden, they think it must have escaped from a private collection or zoo. Awwww, I always miss the exciting bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindafw Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 hello Mollyripkin...Am I right in assuming that is Hampshire uk??? If so I wonder if it excaped from Marwell zoo. Ps I am hampshire uk too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egglicious Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 Are raccoons cute? I'd love to see one! I don't think raccoons would have the strength to undo any of the locking mechanisms on an Omlet product - I struggle with my eggport and I'm a well built lady! Raccoons are very cute, but they are viscous to chickens. I love foxes but I don't have to deal with them eating my pets! Raccoons are like monkeys, too. They can open just about anything we can. I don't think they can open a cube, though! But I know I will need to reinforce the run because a raccoon can reach right through the wire and kill all the chickens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Are raccoons cute? I'd love to see one! I don't think raccoons would have the strength to undo any of the locking mechanisms on an Omlet product - I struggle with my eggport and I'm a well built lady! Raccoons are very cute, but they are viscous to chickens. I love foxes but I don't have to deal with them eating my pets! Raccoons are like monkeys, too. They can open just about anything we can. I don't think they can open a cube, though! But I know I will need to reinforce the run because a raccoon can reach right through the wire and kill all the chickens. is there raccoon repellent? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeloo Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 I am a bit concerned about raccoons, but not a lot. I know they are in my area, but I've never seen any evidence of one in my neighborhood. If we had them, I'm pretty sure they'd be breaking into my compost bin. My in-laws have lost pet birds to coons, but they live in a more wooded area. I just noticed a couple of nights ago that the hens aren't going into their Eglu at sundown anymore. I guess because it's so horribly hot now, they want to stay in the run where they can get more air movement. It worries me a little, since they would be vulnerable to coons if they rested next to the wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 hello Mollyripkin...Am I right in assuming that is Hampshire uk??? If so I wonder if it excaped from Marwell zoo. Ps I am hampshire uk too Marwell never had raccoons when I went there! AGAIN - I always miss the exciting bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egglicious Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 There are things you can do to sort of repel raccoons, but they aren't foolproof from what i've read. They sell something called "night eyes" which is basically a pair of little lights that looks like another animal staring at them to scare them away. There are also other kind of laser-type lights that can scare them. But overall they are super smart. VERY hard to control from everything i've read.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 No, I don't remember racoons at mar well either. The picture In the paper was so clear of it sat on a garden wall that you couldnt mistake it for anything else. There was a funny story a couple of months ago when an escaped White tiger was spotted in a field near mar well, loads of police etc. It turned out to be a soft toy which moved under the draft of the helicopter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Don't know how to do links but if you goolge 'racoon in hampshire' there are some lovely pictures, he looks very plump and healthly, apparently he came to the same garden for four nights and only a few miles from where I live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egglicious Posted July 11, 2011 Author Share Posted July 11, 2011 No, I don't remember racoons at mar well either. The picture In the paper was so clear of it sat on a garden wall that you couldnt mistake it for anything else. There was a funny story a couple of months ago when an escaped White tiger was spotted in a field near mar well, loads of police etc. It turned out to be a soft toy which moved under the draft of the helicopter That's all we need is a white tiger coming after our chickens! That story was on the news here in the US as well. Hilarious. Did no one wonder why it wasn't coming up on their fancy infrared cameras?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 No, I don't remember racoons at mar well either. The picture In the paper was so clear of it sat on a garden wall that you couldnt mistake it for anything else. There was a funny story a couple of months ago when an escaped White tiger was spotted in a field near mar well, loads of police etc. It turned out to be a soft toy which moved under the draft of the helicopter That's all we need is a white tiger coming after our chickens! That story was on the news here in the US as well. Hilarious. Did no one wonder why it wasn't coming up on their fancy infrared cameras?? Well that's when they realised - when no heat came up on the infrared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egglicious Posted July 11, 2011 Author Share Posted July 11, 2011 No, I don't remember racoons at mar well either. The picture In the paper was so clear of it sat on a garden wall that you couldnt mistake it for anything else. There was a funny story a couple of months ago when an escaped White tiger was spotted in a field near mar well, loads of police etc. It turned out to be a soft toy which moved under the draft of the helicopter That's all we need is a white tiger coming after our chickens! That story was on the news here in the US as well. Hilarious. Did no one wonder why it wasn't coming up on their fancy infrared cameras?? Well that's when they realised - when no heat came up on the infrared. Ooh. The way they told the story here it sounded like they didn't realize until the tiger tipped over and kept the same shape!!! Perhaps I should put a stuffed white tiger on the roof of the cube to keep the raccoons away? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouldercroft Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I have a couple of racoons around my garden - they have learned to twist and lift the lid off the compost bins which I'm guessing weren't fully locked so they had a bit of an advantage but so far (touch wood) I haven't seen them interfering with with the chicken coop. My eglus and WIR are pretty secure and I have seen racoon footprints on the deck nearby....so they are definitely in the area. Maybe they have heard how mean Josie the bantam is... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headchicken Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Raccoons are nothing to sneeze at. We lost 2 of our girls 2 weeks ago, so we penned everyone else up. Then last week, another coon got in and killed all 5 of the remaining girls. It was a complete blood-bath We are completely devistated and are now going to cull the raccoon population around our house and build an over-engineered walk-in run to place our Cube (hardward cloth, burried sides, tile shards buried around perimeter, heavy-duty roof, etc). Learn by my loss; secure your precious girls if you are in raccoon prone areas! I've had a number of friends in my city that have also lost chooks this past month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouldercroft Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Raccoons are nothing to sneeze at. We lost 2 of our girls 2 weeks ago, so we penned everyone else up. Then last week, another coon got in and killed all 5 of the remaining girls. It was a complete blood-bath We are completely devistated and are now going to cull the raccoon population around our house and build an over-engineered walk-in run to place our Cube (hardward cloth, burried sides, tile shards buried around perimeter, heavy-duty roof, etc). Learn by my loss; secure your precious girls if you are in raccoon prone areas! I've had a number of friends in my city that have also lost chooks this past month I'm so sorry to hear this - my run is quite fortified with hardware cloth buried a foot into the ground - a solid roof - door has a secure latch with a spring clip. Fingers crossed my girls will stay safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headchicken Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Bouldercroft- do you have any pics of your run?! Sounds like what the doctor requires around these parts!!!! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouldercroft Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Bouldercroft- do you have any pics of your run?! Sounds like what the doctor requires around these parts!!!! Thanks! lots and lots of pics!! email me if you have any questions... http://www.flickr.com/photos/jewilk71/sets/72157626866227005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headchicken Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 How lovely is that?! And you have a gorgeous house! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouldercroft Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 How lovely is that?! And you have a gorgeous house! Thanks! thank you - and again I'm so sorry about your girls - I hope you can rebuild and get some new girls soon.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeloo Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Wow, that is a luxury chicken condo! I would love to have a setup like that! I had to replace my roo so my hen could have a companion so I ran out Sunday to buy a new hen from a guy down the road who was selling his stock. I got his black sex link so my hen would adjust more quickly, but he also had Easter eggers and I was so tempted to get one of those, too! I was afraid the run would be too small for three, though, so I passed. I couldn't justify spending $150 on a run extension for one extra hen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouldercroft Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Wow, that is a luxury chicken condo! I would love to have a setup like that! I had to replace my roo so my hen could have a companion so I ran out Sunday to buy a new hen from a guy down the road who was selling his stock. I got his black sex link so my hen would adjust more quickly, but he also had Easter eggers and I was so tempted to get one of those, too! I was afraid the run would be too small for three, though, so I passed. I couldn't justify spending $150 on a run extension for one extra hen! you could squeeze a bantam or two in with them.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Bohmier Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Raccoons are really smart and have an opposable (sp) thumb. THis means that they can open just about anything. They got two of my birds. We got lazy over the summer and stopped going down to the run to lock the doors... One got in and killed two birds. We now have everything on lock down. And so far so good. We are putting up an electric fence tomorrow... and hopefully that will be the end of that. Well let u know Joshua Bohmier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
