| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| bananachicken |
Posted - Jun 17 2012 : 8:12:04 PM
Since this is our first year on our farm, we have never dealt with predators and the only time I have ever seen a racoon was either on the side of the road or at a campground. I never gave them a second thought! We have all our chickens in a very secure coop and lock them up every night. However, we are raising broilers and built a chicken tractor for them and a racoon mutilated one of our 2 week old broilers! It broke my heart! Sounds ironic since these are the ones we are raising for food, but I feel like it suffered and it made me so sad!!  The racoon dug just enough under the tractor to be able to reach it's little hand under there. After doing some research, we were able to secure the tractor a little more so this will hopefully not happen again. We also got a live trap to try to catch any racoon's that come close. I feel like I won't be able to sleep worrying about these little guys! 
"I should be having tea right now."
-Lady Annalía Elisabet Catherina Tristán Llorente |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| bananachicken |
Posted - Jun 22 2012 : 09:16:55 AM
Thanks ladies, and yes, the first thing we did was right away move them into the barn and put a wire skirt around the bottom and reinforced with bricks. Then moved them back into the tractor. We set a live trap and caught a raccoon right by the tractor. The birds have been safe and sound ever since! :)
"I should be having tea right now."
-Lady Annalía Elisabet Catherina Tristán Llorente |
| oldbittyhen |
Posted - Jun 20 2012 : 7:22:52 PM
CJ, that sounds like dogs to me...
Yes, put some wire up to protect your poultry, once you know you have wildlife around, it is up to you to make sure they are as safe as you can make them...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
| windypines |
Posted - Jun 20 2012 : 4:23:48 PM
how about getting some chicken wire, and covering the bottom of you tractor so nothing can get the birds at night? good luck
Michele |
| ceejay48 |
Posted - Jun 19 2012 : 3:01:48 PM
So sorry, Ginny! We battled with coons, skunks and bears around here . . .
There are coons all over the place right now and something is dragging dead lambs from across the road into our yard . . YUK!
CJ
..from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado...sister chick #665.
2010 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
Mother Hen: FARMGIRLS SOUTHWEST HENHOUSE
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from my hubby - www.aspenforge.blogspot.com |
| Bear5 |
Posted - Jun 18 2012 : 08:28:32 AM
So sorry to hear that news, Ginny. I've been seeing three raccoons late in the evening. Last night, I chased one away.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
| one_dog_per_acre |
Posted - Jun 18 2012 : 05:51:02 AM
Sorry to hear that, Ginny. Most tractors have to get a wire skirt around the bottom that goes over the ground to stop digging.
I am afraid the same thing will happen to us if we don't put our chickens up in the coops. The chickens stay up later than us, so it's a chore in summer.
I heard that flashing night eyes work well if you move them around.
“It always looks darkest just before it gets totally black.”-Charlie Brown |
| crittergranny |
Posted - Jun 17 2012 : 10:06:23 PM
Bobcats will kill them like that too if they are in a small cage.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
