We don't have issues with coons anymore, but the hawks and eagle are insanely abundant where we live now. We can't free range here either because of the hawks. We are building the tunnel like the one from your other video so they can partially free range. We are also going to make one around the garden to keep weeds down. I am looking forward to your tunnel tractor video!
So thankful for you taking the time to share your wisdom. Looking forward to your next episode! Your gentle tone of voice is pleasant by the way. My questions: could I use t posts instead of wood and wrap the bottom foot of wire out bending it like you did for the tunnel? What kind of trap do you use?
We had both of the wires you have. Both were eaten by possums. We went to the smaller mesh wire. The possum ate a whole in the cage and bit one of my chickens on the rear end. We had to kill it. It was horrible.
Several years ago, before I ever had chickens, I relocated 8 opposums and 6 raccoons. But we’ve got plenty more. I’m pretty well secure, but I’ve got two raccoons still trying. So I put a dog pen beside my coop with my beagle in there. That pretty much solved the issue.
John Jaso YES!!! Our coop is so loose and often open and we have never lost birds to predators in thirty years. We have always had at least one big dog that can circle the pen when doing his rounds. Now I have trouble with crows and wild turkeys flying into their pen to steal their food though. Going to roof the run this year. We can’t do that with wire because of all the snow, so it’s a big project. I like the idea of tunnels to extend the run, since I will have to make the existing run smaller when I roof it.
get the old school leg traps, small ones. put one in a milk crate with a large stone on it, peanut butter on trigger (mash some chicken feed into it too). this will kill RATS and if a racoon sticks his hand into the trap he can not escape as the milk crate will be attached to his arm.
Can I asked what kind of bait you used in your live trap to catch them? And what you did with them afterwards? Did you have to terminate the racoons, I know they don't relocate well?
@@dachickenman281 My Son is raising meat chickens and I go down to help him. Last year NO problems, this year, they know where the free meal is. I set up a live trap, but I used peanut butter, didn't catch a darn thing. He has them in the field, and next year, finer mesh wire, will work better. they just reach in, tear off a wing or foot, most the time they don't even eat the chicken, they can't get it out thru the chicken wire. (most the time) I suspect racoons. :( Thanks for replying Friend.
I've lost 2 chickens to raccoons recently. It was totally my fault. I'd accidentally locked them out of the coop during a heavy rainstorm and the coons got em that night. I built the coop to be predator proof but that does no good unless the birds are tucked away at dusk.
Sorry you lost them 😢. I’ve done the same thing before and lost one Raccoons will absolutely devastate your flock if you don’t lock them up every night
Ugh, coons are the worst! I've got stories forever including one that went after the feed in a horse trailer, couldn't get back out and tore up a brand new saddle for no reason I can think of other than frustration, or because of some interest in the leather(?) I've also seen them chew into the T1-11 siding of a beautiful new coop. They failed to get a chicken, but the damage was infuriating. I've long wished I could find a german shepherd cross like my mother had - a remarkably savvy spot, stalk and ambush coon killer who was trustworthy around our animals. She was one of a kind - I wouldn't know where to look for another one like her. We've been holding our own by maintaining easy pickings in traps at the perimeter which they prefer ahead of having to put in the work to get to our birds.
I have a personal vendetta against Raccoons...they killed my outside kitty defending his food 😡 and I can’t tell you how many chickens I’ve lost thinking my coop was bulletproof. I’ve taken care of 18 coons and 6 or 7 possums in the last 2 years that were attempting to get my flock
@@dachickenman281 Ditto on vendetta. I once saw them as "cute." Now I view them as vermin on par with rats. Even the fur market doesn't value them anymore which is likely why their numbers are out of hand. Keep up the good fight.
@@dachickenman281 I feel you. Had a coon kill my duck that I raised since she was born. I put effort time and money into growing her and grew attached to her.
I have a custom Honda Big Red two wheeler with with the 25x12x9 very low pressure tires that I've been riding around rapping finding chasing and then running over raccoons and flatten them as flat as a pancake under the tires and the Honda Big Red is such a nice heavy bike if I see a raccoon it's been very effective to chase after and just run them over and flatten them several times back and forth crush them and it's like payback because they killed my chickens tired of it this is warm and if I see raccoons anywhere in the property I just run them over now it's been very effective and they killed my chickens and I'm enjoying running them over
For the last 2 weeks I'll be keeping my chickens in the kitchen in a box and out on the porch I felt that they got big enough put them in a barn yesterda today a raccoon got in and killed all 10
So sorry to hear that 😢 raccoons will devastate a flock! I’ve learned the hard way. I live in the middle of town and I quit counting at 18 coons and 8 possums caught. I never in my wildest dreams thought there would be so many here
@@dachickenman281 I'm so sorry you had to experience that! 2 weeks back a coon got in to my coop/run and thankfully one of the "alarm hens" I call them, let out a few huge hollars and I went running with a bright flashlight and a shovel!! Wacked it with the shovel hard from the exterior of run against the coop, basically stunned it. Got in the run with a machete and wacked it badly but wouldn't you know the machete wasnt sharp enough!! But it was down enough to break it's neck with the shovel. I couldn't shoot it in our neighborhood for fear I'd have my neighbors call on me. I kinda feel bad for killing it but it would've killed all of my hens! Thankfully none were harmed that I can tell! The coon got in from the roof, I thought I had it completely sealed!! Ive kept a live trap set with cat food about 5 feet away from the run from then on. Ive had hens for 2 years without ANY predator problems.
I put raised beds around my run & now I’m growing food for my flock in them.
Interesting idea.....
Awesome!
So happy that I found your videos.. you are helping MANY MANY PEOPLE.. Ty!!!!
You are most certainly welcome !❤️❤️❤️. I’m just hoping people learn from my mistakes 😊
We don't have issues with coons anymore, but the hawks and eagle are insanely abundant where we live now. We can't free range here either because of the hawks. We are building the tunnel like the one from your other video so they can partially free range. We are also going to make one around the garden to keep weeds down.
I am looking forward to your tunnel tractor video!
Ty for your kind words ❤️
So thankful for you taking the time to share your wisdom. Looking forward to your next episode! Your gentle tone of voice is pleasant by the way. My questions: could I use t posts instead of wood and wrap the bottom foot of wire out bending it like you did for the tunnel? What kind of trap do you use?
I don’t see why you can’t use a T post...the trap is a Hart I think medium size... hope some of this helps!
We had both of the wires you have. Both were eaten by possums. We went to the smaller mesh wire. The possum ate a whole in the cage and bit one of my chickens on the rear end. We had to kill it. It was horrible.
Possums will definitely chew through small gauge wire! Did the same thing to my rabbits!
Several years ago, before I ever had chickens, I relocated 8 opposums and 6 raccoons. But we’ve got plenty more. I’m pretty well secure, but I’ve got two raccoons still trying. So I put a dog pen beside my coop with my beagle in there. That pretty much solved the issue.
I woke up this morning and all my chicks are dead!!!😥😥
@@Tyrashabrooks that has happened to me. Sucks!! Last week I finally caught the fox.
@@Tyrashabrooks oh no. I'm so sorry.
DA CHICKEN MAN, no more videos?
I like the first two. Hopefully you make more!
Thanks and take care!
Ty for the kind words ❤️. I will have another video very soon 😊
@@dachickenman281 looking forward to it! 👍
Yes. What ever getting our hens is killing eating most the chic and leaving bones left except head and some inside of chicken
Is the head gone or are they being eaten from the tail inward?
Enjoyed you videos . . . very constructive . . . What happen when the chickens exit the tunnel? Cheers.
They can’t exit at the moment...however they will be able to in my next video 😊❤️
Beautiful cage by the way
Another tip is putting lights around your Coop
and dogs....
John Jaso YES!!! Our coop is so loose and often open and we have never lost birds to predators in thirty years. We have always had at least one big dog that can circle the pen when doing his rounds.
Now I have trouble with crows and wild turkeys flying into their pen to steal their food though. Going to roof the run this year. We can’t do that with wire because of all the snow, so it’s a big project. I like the idea of tunnels to extend the run, since I will have to make the existing run smaller when I roof it.
Net the top it’s a whole lot easier! Just bungee cord it!😊
get the old school leg traps, small ones. put one in a milk crate with a large stone on it, peanut butter on trigger (mash some chicken feed into it too). this will kill RATS and if a racoon sticks his hand into the trap he can not escape as the milk crate will be attached to his arm.
I started using dog proof coon traps if that’s what you are referring to?
Thank you for your insight
You are most welcome!❤️❤️❤️
RACOON STEW FOR DINER TONIGHT , TASTE BETTER THAN CHICKEN STEW THEY SAY ?
🤣
Can I asked what kind of bait you used in your live trap to catch them? And what you did with them afterwards? Did you have to terminate the racoons, I know they don't relocate well?
Absolutely! Cat food works great ... about 3 miles from me there is a stretch of nothing but woods for 15 miles 😊
@@dachickenman281 My Son is raising meat chickens and I go down to help him. Last year NO problems, this year, they know where the free meal is. I set up a live trap, but I used peanut butter, didn't catch a darn thing. He has them in the field, and next year, finer mesh wire, will work better. they just reach in, tear off a wing or foot, most the time they don't even eat the chicken, they can't get it out thru the chicken wire. (most the time) I suspect racoons. :( Thanks for replying Friend.
Eggs worked for me. We got 4 racoons in a week.
Thank you this is going to help me protect my rescue babies :) :)
I've lost 2 chickens to raccoons recently. It was totally my fault. I'd accidentally locked them out of the coop during a heavy rainstorm and the coons got em that night. I built the coop to be predator proof but that does no good unless the birds are tucked away at dusk.
Sorry you lost them 😢. I’ve done the same thing before and lost one Raccoons will absolutely devastate your flock if you don’t lock them up every night
@@dachickenman281 Yessir!
How about the sneks?
Ugh, coons are the worst! I've got stories forever including one that went after the feed in a horse trailer, couldn't get back out and tore up a brand new saddle for no reason I can think of other than frustration, or because of some interest in the leather(?) I've also seen them chew into the T1-11 siding of a beautiful new coop. They failed to get a chicken, but the damage was infuriating. I've long wished I could find a german shepherd cross like my mother had - a remarkably savvy spot, stalk and ambush coon killer who was trustworthy around our animals. She was one of a kind - I wouldn't know where to look for another one like her. We've been holding our own by maintaining easy pickings in traps at the perimeter which they prefer ahead of having to put in the work to get to our birds.
I have a personal vendetta against Raccoons...they killed my outside kitty defending his food 😡 and I can’t tell you how many chickens I’ve lost thinking my coop was bulletproof. I’ve taken care of 18 coons and 6 or 7 possums in the last 2 years that were attempting to get my flock
@@dachickenman281 Ditto on vendetta. I once saw them as "cute." Now I view them as vermin on par with rats. Even the fur market doesn't value them anymore which is likely why their numbers are out of hand. Keep up the good fight.
@@dachickenman281 I feel you. Had a coon kill my duck that I raised since she was born. I put effort time and money into growing her and grew attached to her.
@@duckman2124 Raccoons may look cute and cuddly but they are ferocious critters!
any problems with rats & mice trying to get in???
Not in the trap itself... but my feed barrel yes 😊
Chicken keepers forced to manage the Raccoon population. Hopefully you turned the coons into fertilizer.
Let’s just say they won’t be killing chickens anymore 😊
I have a custom Honda Big Red two wheeler with with the 25x12x9 very low pressure tires that I've been riding around rapping finding chasing and then running over raccoons and flatten them as flat as a pancake under the tires and the Honda Big Red is such a nice heavy bike if I see a raccoon it's been very effective to chase after and just run them over and flatten them several times back and forth crush them and it's like payback because they killed my chickens tired of it this is warm and if I see raccoons anywhere in the property I just run them over now it's been very effective and they killed my chickens and I'm enjoying running them over
For the last 2 weeks I'll be keeping my chickens in the kitchen in a box and out on the porch I felt that they got big enough put them in a barn yesterda today a raccoon got in and killed all 10
So sorry to hear that 😢 raccoons will devastate a flock! I’ve learned the hard way. I live in the middle of town and I quit counting at 18 coons and 8 possums caught. I never in my wildest dreams thought there would be so many here
They killed my chickens.
They can wipe a flock out overnight I’ve had it happen 😡
@@dachickenman281 I'm so sorry you had to experience that! 2 weeks back a coon got in to my coop/run and thankfully one of the "alarm hens" I call them, let out a few huge hollars and I went running with a bright flashlight and a shovel!! Wacked it with the shovel hard from the exterior of run against the coop, basically stunned it. Got in the run with a machete and wacked it badly but wouldn't you know the machete wasnt sharp enough!! But it was down enough to break it's neck with the shovel. I couldn't shoot it in our neighborhood for fear I'd have my neighbors call on me. I kinda feel bad for killing it but it would've killed all of my hens! Thankfully none were harmed that I can tell! The coon got in from the roof, I thought I had it completely sealed!!
Ive kept a live trap set with cat food about 5 feet away from the run from then on. Ive had hens for 2 years without ANY predator problems.
@@steph6337 glad you got it! If there is the smallest way to get in they will find it!
WE NEED MORE CONTENT!!
How bout breakfast from Mc Donald’s !🤣!
@@dachickenman281 you know the way to my heart🤣🤣
@@cal-e8289 🤣🤣🤣
helo
Hi!