That Rascal

It was bound to happen and I hoped it would not. When I threw together the area we use for raising our chicks before they are old and hardy enough to go to the field, I knew that it was not completely safe. I did not have time to completely enclose the area, and so any animal that was crafty enough to to climb over the 4′ pallet walls could hop into the brooder and help itself to the smorgasbord inside.

This week we saw signs that someone was getting curious, like grain buckets turned over and rolled around. Paw prints in the fresh mud. And then the tarp cover that we use to minimize drafts, was pulled down. Still no signs of carnage in the chicks, but I was getting concerned. So we setup a nifty game camera to see who was prowling around.

I posted a few fascinating videos on Facebook and Instagram. The whole family was enthralled to see just how Mr. Raccoon climbed up and into the brooder. Not too difficult with the handy wheel barrow wheel parked right by the entrance. We lost 10 chicks that we can see from one evening of feasting and festivities by at least 2 raccoons, and one skunk. 10 out of 480 is not as devastating as it could be, but my experience says this would not be the end.

The first deaths were discovered on Saturday morning. I spent a few hours doing some cleaning and organizing to eliminate climbing help for curious creatures, and found a full piece of plywood (4’x8′) that was way in the rafters of our barn, and which took some rope work to get down. Then we had a full day of family plans to attend to.

Including Lovett’s new favorite weekend activity: “Pony Patrol” at a wonderful riding school (CSG Horsemanship) just down the road.

Saturday evening I went down to do my best to deter any entry that evening. I knew I did not have time to fully enclose the space before it was time for bed. So I removed as many objects from around the brooder and put the sheet of plywood in front of the entry point. I also set a live trap, with the optimism of catching the culprit who had a taste of things and deterring any future infiltrations. Hoping, but also knowing that this would likely not be enough for an animal that has opposable thumbs and is an expert climber.

After everyone was awake and dressed, we decided to forgo breakfast for a quick reconnaissance mission to the brooder to see what the camera and the live trap would tell us. We arrived to find a live trap that had been tripped, moved around and cleared of bait, but no animal to show for it. And more difficult forensic evidence. Does two piles of feathers count as two lost chicks?

We probably lost at least another 10 chicks.

Interestingly, the camera clearly indicates that the lack of wheel barrow stool and new plywood posed a curiosity to the intruder. However, it was hardly a barrier. I tried positioning the camera in a new spot to see more, and we only got a few pictures. But clearly jumping 4 feet with a chick in your mouth is no problem for our masked bandit.

I’ve wondered about rigging up an electric fence solution, could that keep our chicks safe? What about some sort of baffle on the walls to hinder climbing? But each night going forward is another risk. I’ve decided my task for today is to enclose this area so we can keep our chicks safe and the raccoons out.

I’ll let you know how it goes.