Yesterday I was in a part of the goat paddock I do not usually venture over to and spotted raccoon scat. I have 2 does who should be kidding sometime in March or possibly April. Does anyone know if a raccoon can or might kill a kid?
Yes, they can and will if they're hungry enough. I'd be concerned mostly when they're under a week old and fragile. I don't think it's a real common occurance, but I have heard of it happening.
No they won't. They usually stick with small rodents, chickens, bugs ect..Never mind just seen what Kw posted. lol..
I would not think twice about them killing a baby. I would for sure protect the fencing to keep them out.
Yep, they bite a little hole in them. Then they come back every night taking blood from that spot. Other times they will gang up on them and outright kill them. Mother does have been known to kill their own kids on accident, pawing at them, trying to keep them awake and up because of rats in the barn. Sleeping platforms help with rat problems. Opossums are another nasty little creature who will attack anything slightly edible.
My dad and stepmom have done rescue for many years on racoons...I have helped plus i had two pet coons..if you have any questions on how to keep coons out or anything just let me know.
If you're not seeing them, you're probably okay. It's when they get over populated and are starving that they really cause problems.
I think size of kid would matter, ie one pound pygmy v ten pound Boer. My four pyg kids are in a round pen, an the donkeys circle the wagons at night. We have seen a lot fewer coons since the donkeys moved in and we abut a lake.
I dont trust coons at all , I think they will take whatever they can get their little hands on ! JMO. They can pass leptospirosis too , not a good animal to have around pets. I think they are gorgeous creatures and adorable at that , but I am really afraid of harm they can do to other animals. I gave known people who have had them as pets too , but those are some serious teeth !! And Opossums are worse , IMO.... I would take great care to protect any animal from both of them.
It is impossible to make the fence raccoon proof, but we did put doors on the 10 by 10 shelter because it faces south (warm air come from the south but so does hurricanes). So we can always lock a doe and kids in the shelter at night if we feel the need to do so. Next year hopefully we will finally have the time to start building a seperate doe enclosure with a mini barn equipped with several kidding stalls.
yes they will, I had a problem here and I trapped 7 coons in barn, they actually ate a head off a baby being born, not kidding. if there hungry look out. they even tryed pulling new born through an opening not big enough and baby being stuck. better set some traps, and take them far away. unless you know someone that would take them. there are people that like to get them for there training of coon dogs.
A coon certainly can and will kill a young kid if it has an opportunity. Bottle kids housed in a small pen away from adults are the most vulnerable. Coons are usually looking for an easy meal and will leave live prey if there is something more convenient available but they do like to kill for fun sometimes too...especially when they are training their own babies to hunt.
I wouldn't put is past a sick racoon to kill a baby goat. We had one inside our barn in the middle of the day that killed my rabbit, it had to of been a 12 pound rabbit too. I don't think many of my does would allow a racoon into the barn with their kids.
2 summers ago we had a major problem of raccoons going through the cat door and eating the cat food, but so far this year that has not been a problem, even though we are still in a really bad drought. Raccoon prints were spotted in the dirt the other day though. If the cat food starts dissapearing then I will know they are getting hungry and looking for easy food. Thankfully we can see the goats from the living room window and so are able to check on the does often without going outside. Anything unusual and I will be outside to make sure someone might be going into labor.
