Well, it finally happened, my first raccoon attack took place this morning about 4:30am. I needed to arrange some of my young boys in the brooder room (HOW could I be running out of room so soon? Again?!?) So, I took Sesame, who is broody and was in a cage in the brooder room, and put her outside in the cabin, along with a nesting bowl, thereby freeing up a cage for a randy little boy. It's Ok, I thought, she won't mind, she's broody and doesn't want to be bothered with anyone else anyway. Well, she apparently decided to sleep NOT in the bowl, but on the wire, which is 3' above ground, but she picked right up against the roof wall, which was next to a slanted wall (think A-frame) made of chicken wire. Yes, that's right, the infamous chicken wire. This crafty raccoon managed to get his hand through the wire and grabbed onto Sesame's comb, obviously with the intention of pulling her through, piece by piece, if necessary. She fell/jumped down to the ground, and that's how she wound up with her comb being torn at the base of her head. The raccoon tried to reach her, running around the bottom of the cabin, but that part was wrapped 2' high with hardware cloth, so she was safe there. Her screams woke Erik, whose house is close to the cabin, and he ran out in his underwear and rescued her.
I dusted the wound with Wonder Dust, which helps stop the bleeding and is antibacterial as well. I also gave her some Bach Rescue Remedy, which helps to calm and lesson the degree of shock. I held her for close to an hour, while she fell asleep and I tried not to (remember what time it is!), and then put her in a cage in the brooder room, so she could see and hear the other chickens, and feel safe. She ate and drank, and decided the middle of the cage was where she wanted to be, not on my soft towel, and not in the nesting bowl! So much for comfort!
She is doing well today, eating and drinking, but I have taken her off the auction, so she can heal with “her family”…Sounds corny, I know, but I can't really apologize for that…She is part of our family! I don't know how her comb will heal, I don't know if it's actually separated from her head or not, we'll just have to wait and see…Here are some pictures…
Try adding some hot wire around the cages. TSC sells small units for about $20. Usually it just takes a shock one time to discourage them.
Aww poor Sesame! Hoping for all the best.
I got invaded by Possium….No joke they destroyed my chicken house….Now My seramas are all in the house soon will be moving into the den for the winter as we dont have a winter house built yet….I have 2 roo’s….names Roo baby and Chicken Nugget. And 2 hens…names Blondie and goldie… expecting babies any day
Let us Know how Sesame does.
Glad Sesame is doing ok, I was bidding on the little beauty. I have a pyranese dog that wanders around the farm at night and have no possum or raccoon attacks, Found her one morning laying next to a pusium. waiting for us to come out and dispose of the varmit. Keep me posted when you have her up for sale again along with a nice cockrel.
thank you.
Laura, I certainly will! She is now in the “big coop”, in her own cage and run, happy as a clam! She’s a little lonely at the moment, so I think I’ll have to find her a roomie…her stamina and constitution is amazing, I should rebound as fast as her!!! lol
My Texas Heeler, Sam, has been the guardian here for the past 10+ years. I’m very rural, raccoons, possums, skunks, foxes and coyotes abound but not on our 40 acres. The trespass here and they’re dead and left laying on the front porch. At the same time, he allows the poultry to eat from his dish. Fearful that he will grow old and die someday, and he’s past 10 yrs old, we hatched a plan 😉 We currently have 7 Texas Heeler pups and we’re keeping 2 of them. The reast are going fast and they’re just 3 weeks old.
Cathy-Now, that’s a plan! I have 2 dogs, but they’re house dogs, so they’re of no use as far as predators go…a doberman and a german shepherd. Unless, of course, the racoons decide to enter the house! 🙂