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Show Thoughts From The Garden... by Tonya LeMone "Death in the Barnyard.... " We have had several deaths in our barnyard and realized that it is all part of the cycle of life. We know dogs don't last forever and cats either. We know a chicken can die suddenly after six fruitful years. We know that not all dove eggs hatch. But, the useless killing of chickens by a raccoon is so devastating to a barnyard and a death so much harder to accept, and one I want to avenge. I continue to think of the poor chickens that had to witness such a massacre and how they must suffer from some form of animal PTSD. We have had chickens for 20 years and have never had this problem before. Thank goodness for the information available on the internet. There are many people who have faced this masked fellow in their chicken yards and have shared information to those of us who choose to raise chickens in an urban setting. If a raccoon can gain entry, he remembers that your chicken house can provide him with food and he will return time and time again to prey upon your chickens. Raccoons are very smart and are able to open latches climb fences and dig under buried barriers, which is how our chickens were attacked. The raccoons did return night after night to get their food even though we thought we had remedied the problem with a trap and secured the pen. The most important thing to protect your chickens is to secure them at night. If they can be locked in a chicken house that doesn't have just a latch but a lock, that is the safest method. There are also ways of deterring raccoons from the chicken pen. Soak rags in ammonia and lay the soaked rags around the perimeter of the pen where you suspect they are entering, or sprinkle cayenne pepper liberally around the perimeter of your chicken house. One friend said to play a radio all night and the noise distracts them thinking there are people close by. So I guess it would have to be talk radio?.... tnat would distract and scare any kind of animal off! There are also exterminators who can help or professional trappers (Daniel Boone of sorts?) The city of Lindon will provide homeowner's with a trap and if you are lucky enough to catch one, they will take care of it in their own special way. . ..but every night I set the trap and they have turned it upside down and done everything -but gone into the trap. Canned tuna fish, canned cat food, anything with a strong odor is suppose to attract them. Well, it attracted them all right, right back into the chicken pen each night eliminating yet another one. We have one chicken left and have changed her name to "Lucky". We are afraid to get anymore for fear the raccoon thinks there is a full house again. Anything that has to wear a mask and preys after nightfall must be up to no good. I'm thinking I need an mp 15-22 lock-n-loaded! Just kidding, well maybe not, I don't even know what an mp 15-22 is! In my research on how to get rid of raccoons this seems to be the sure cure for saving the "girls"! That's how grandpa use to handle the problem and it worked for him! See you in the garden. . .. |