Once raccoons choose to get into poultry coops, homes or buildings, they are indomitable. They are considered super-predators if they break into poultry enclosures or discover birds free-ranging. Erin Snyder shares ways to keep raccoons from becoming a problem.
Source: Hobby Farms, December 13, 2023. Link.
INSIGHTS: Synder’s article is worthy of sharing on social media or in newsletters as most of us live around raccoons whether we see them or not. Raccoons enter a dormancy state called torpor when temperatures fall below 15 degrees Fahrenheit, but do not hibernate. They are active most of the year and have voracious appetites. Breeding season begins in January in much of the U.S.
Raccoons’ tendencies to find shelter in homes and buildings increases the potential zoonotic risks from rabies and leptospirosis and their latrines are common sources of Salmonella sp bacteria.