Raccoons, often known as masked robbers, are notorious for killing chickens and stealing eggs.These cunning critters can scale fences, dismantle basic coop locks, and reach to eat your flock through chicken wire. They mainly operate at night, so be wary if you spot one during the day.Even if the raccoon is hungry enough to get out during the day, rabies remains a severe threat to these animals. Raccoons are nocturnal creatures who will live on your chickens at night when they are most susceptible. If your chickens are roosting, they will not try to flee, and you may not hear any sounds of your chickens being attacked. Raccoons are responsible for the majority of nighttime attacks on your chickens, though weasels, foxes, and coyotes will also attack and eat chickens.Multiple raccoons might assault the house of chickens at the same time since they live in a flock. Once they’ve had a fast meal of your chickens, they’ll come back if they can. Raccoons rarely eat an entire adult chicken. If your flock has been attacked and most of the chicken has been left, one of two animals is most likely to blame: a weasel or a raccoon.They may appear as adorable masked robbers, but they can be a nuisance in your yard and house, taking tempting snacks from trashcans and causing a mess. In urban areas, they may even cause property damage in their search for a warm place to call home. Remove possible food sources from the yard and close off any tiny entry points to locations they may use as a refuge to keep these critters at bay.If you like this article, you may find it interesting to read these facts articles: Do raccoons eat cats and do raccoons come out during the day.Signs Of Raccoons Killing ChickensRaccoons, for example, would consume chickens without regret or respect if given the opportunity. At night, young chickens prefer resting on bare flooring, making them an ideal food for these predators. When raccoons attack your chickens, they leave a whole mess behind. If they can’t get inside the house of chickens, they’ll have to make do with reaching through fences and dragging your chickens through.Feathers and tracks, visible battle, and slain chickens are all signs of a raccoon assault. You may notice chickens blood and feathers everywhere after a raccoon assault, both inside and outside the chicken house. The existence of raccoon tracks should be the first indication that raccoons are present in your region. Raccoon footprints have five toes on the front paws and another five on the hind paws, making them easily identifiable.You could also observe the animal’s excrement in your backyard. Unlike eagles, dogs, and coyotes, raccoons prefer to leave a trail of their existence rather than transport the chicken elsewhere. Raccoons will scatter chicken feathers throughout your backyard, cage, and balcony if they get their hands on a free chicken meal. They’ll take every portion they can get their hands on, including the heads, wings, and legs. They are notorious for wasting food. They’ll devour the meat if they can get to it before moving on to the next bird.Some speculate that the raccoon abandons the chicken because it is too heavy for it to carry. Raccoons have seen to reach through the chicken wire to seize the bird. It’s unsettling to come across, but it also provides relatively clear evidence of raccoon damage in your property. Make careful to shut up the coop as soon as it gets dark to safeguard your flock better. Because raccoons are most active at nightfall, it’s critical to be ahead of them when tucking your birds in for the night.Do raccoons eat chicken eggs?Raccoons love eating chicken eggs. If given the opportunity, raccoons will steal and consume both the chicken and its eggs. Another reason to keep your chicken coop secure overnight is to protect chickens and their eggs from any raccoon attack.Don’t let the gentle eyes and remorseful attitude of raccoons mislead you; raccoons kill chickens. Raccoons are cunning and ferocious. Chickens offer plenty of nourishment for a hungry raccoon. Bird eggs are a favorite food of raccoons since they provide a quick and tasty meal for them, and they have no qualms about destroying a whole nest of bird eggs. Raccoons are cunning animals who have been known to scale trees and steal eggs from nests. They will almost certainly identify a flaw in your coop’s security. The more significant problem is that if they get in and take eggs, your birds are in danger as well.These animals can burrow through obstacles and scale fences to get access to chicken coops, and they will cheerfully consume any bird’s eggs they come across them. To keep your chickens safe from raccoons, keep them safely enclosed in their chicken coop. If you’ve seen eggs disappearing, but your chickens haven’t been hurt, then the raccoons are extremely young to prey, or a raccoon isn’t stealing the eggs. Look for signs that raccoons have gained access to the coop. For example, the lock may have been tampered with, the door may have been ajar, or wire or meshing twisted out of shape. To keep raccoons from becoming regular visitors to your home, do not put pet food outside and keep garbage cans locked at all times, especially at night, since they are frequently spotted strolling about at night hunting for food.What other birds do raccoons pray on?Raccoons are omnivores; therefore, they will consume birds. Even young raccoons will eat a chicken or egg if given a chance. They devour a wide range of tiny animals and plants as a result of this. Because birds are difficult to catch, they are rarely the top choice on a raccoon’s meal list. Raccoons kill chickens and consume little birds that are simple to catch and do not put up much of a struggle.When most people think of raccoons, they don’t think of them as predators. Nonetheless, meat, such as that from birds, makes up a significant percentage of their meals. Raccoons eat birds because they are tiny and provide them with the protein they require to survive and grow. Raccoons are omnivorous creatures that consume not just vegetables but also meat when it is available. This animal may devour injured birds, those protecting their nests, and unwary birds, regardless of whether they can fly or not. Birds can fly and are frequently able to flee from raccoons. Birds that are caught off guard, on the other hand, might become prey for raccoons.Raccoons have difficulty catching flying birds since they may readily flee; nevertheless, given the right circumstances, they can be caught. These naughty little raccoons hunt nests and devour bird eggs. Bird nests are easy for raccoons to discover since they frequently dwell in tree cavities. Raccoons will eat birdseed directly from feeders in addition to consuming bird eggs.How To Keep Your House Safe From RaccoonsAs this animal hates some smells, you can use these smells to deter them. Mix a gallon of water with a bottle of hot sauce or a container of powdered cayenne pepper to produce a natural raccoon deterrent. Adding a few drops of liquid detergent to the mixture can help hold it where you spray it and allow it to remain on the surface longer without evaporating.Raccoons are cunning creatures who will go to great lengths to get to your chickens. They can open basic locks with their hands, so make sure your coop is securely closed up using latches that are tough to enter or need numerous steps. They are great climbers and may quickly scale a coop and climb over it if the roof is not secure. They don’t do much digging, but they’ll get inside the coop through whatever holes they can find.Check your coop daily for any raccoon entry points. As soon as you find a hole in the coop, please fix it. It only takes one night for raccoons to get to your chickens, and you’ll be in big trouble. Raccoons are more likely to stay in or near your yard if they discover a food source. Raccoons and other potentially unpleasant animal species are attracted to pet food dishes left outside.Chicken owners should use a strong wire mesh with small openings that are no larger than 1/2 in (12.7 mm) to keep raccoons from reaching into your coop or breaking through it. Attach a canopy on your coop and secure it firmly. If a raccoon can’t break into your coop easily, raccoons will move on from your chicken coop in search of easier prey.The same may be said for birdseed or squirrel food. They aren’t fussy eaters; they’ll eat almost everything edible. If you’ve seen one or more raccoons in the area and have been feeding them, take a break from feeding them. If the raccoons haven’t settled down yet, they’re more inclined to search for food elsewhere.Use 1/4in (6.35 mm) fencing at the lower border of your fence to prevent raccoons from reaching through to take your chickens while building your chicken run. Raccoons can open doors and lift locks. To fasten door latches, use a padlock or a carabiner clip.Make a roosting spot for the entire chickens that are safe and out of reach of raccoon hands. Having a coop with robust, durable walls is an excellent idea. Encourage your birds to avoid roosting near the run’s edges. Raccoons find chickens roosting within a foot of the run walls to be easy prey.Motion-activated lights can deter raccoons for a short time, but they will gradually get accustomed to them and disregard them. You can make use of live traps to catch and move raccoons if you have them. Keep in mind that while you remove one raccoon, there are likely to be several others waiting to feast on your chickens.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Do Raccoons Eat Chickens? Check Out If Your Birds Are Safe In The Coop, then why not take a look at how long do raccoons live or do raccoons attack humans.
Raccoons, often known as masked robbers, are notorious for killing chickens and stealing eggs.
