Those who saw him said he was “big”, as cunning as a fox, and hungry. A raccoon causes a stir in the alleys of Limoyle, where it raids urban chicken coops at night, leaving feathers and many questions behind.
“He took one of the chickens. I didn’t see her. I saw his feathers on the ground,” a heartbroken Gayle Tamstoy said.
The Quebec resident raises chickens in the city like thousands of other Quebecers. The popularity of this practice has exploded in recent years. More than sixty municipalities now allow laying hens.
These new townspeople don’t just attract the playful attention of the neighborhood kids. Raccoons have also noticed them coming into town.
In the Limoilou sector of Quebec, a raccoon attacked at least three chicken coops within a few weeks in September. Is it a single person or are there many? Unable to know. But those who have seen it describe a striking pattern.
Photo by EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA Press
A raccoon attacked Gaëlle Damestoy’s chickens. One of the animals has disappeared.
“I slept with the window open. Around 4 am, I heard chickens screeching. I ran out and looked. That’s great, I took a step back! », says Gale Tamstoy, recalling the events of the night of September 14-15.
The chickens fended for themselves. He scratched them and bit them. They are shocked. We no longer listen to them, they hide, they try to recover from these wounds. Some are damaged. It does something.
Gaëlle Damestoy, resident of Limoilou
One of the chickens was missing. The mother described the incident on a neighborhood Facebook page. In response, many residents reported that they had recently had a similar experience. “My neighbor’s two chickens were killed last night,” said a woman.
Three weeks ago, another resident of the Limoilou neighborhood experienced a similar situation: chickens screaming at night and a raccoon in the chicken house.
“I saw it come out. It’s huge, it looks like a dog, it’s pointless,” recalls Sophie Grenier-Heroux. She was lucky: she didn’t lose any chickens.
Photo by EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA Press
Sophie Grenier-Héroux received a visit from a raccoon in her backyard chicken coop in Limoilou.
Following the suggestion, she sprayed the area around the chicken coop with vinegar and cayenne pepper. When she heard about M’s mistakeme Tamstoy, who lives at the other end of the neighborhood, tells himself that the raccoon has gone too far.
“But here, he came back three days ago,” says M.me Grenier-Heroux. I fear my chickens. »
Inevitable coexistence
Raccoons are common in cities, as many city dwellers have noticed when they find their trash cans ripped open. They also represent one of the most important predators of chickens in urban areas.
“Chickens often have their heads cut off, their breasts chewed open, and their guts eaten,” Quebec’s Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks lists in an information sheet, all signs of a raccoon attack in a chicken house.
Photo by Hugo-Sébastien Aubert, La Presse Archives
“Researchers hypothesize that urban raccoons are becoming more prolific and mobile,” explains Dee.D Caroline Kilstonk.
Quebec City does not have data on the number of raccoons in its territory or on incidents of this type. “If a citizen has problems living with a raccoon, they are usually referred to private services that specialize in urban wildlife management,” notes city spokesman Jean-Pascal Lavoie.
But according to TD Carolyn Gilstonk, veterinarian and ethicist, says moving raccoons is a Sisyphean task.
“If we decide to eliminate raccoons in certain areas of cities, raccoons in the surrounding areas will reproduce in large numbers and repopulate the removed areas,” he says.
There is no solution but to accept their existence and deal with it.
DD Carolyn Kilstonk, Veterinarian and Ethicist
The advantage of raccoons – let’s put it that way – is that chickens usually attack at night when the chicks are around. It was this small installation that was to be converted into a fortress.
“At night you need good doors, good shutters, and well-locked latches,” notes DD Killstonk.
Smart and intelligent animals
This is the path M wants to takeme Tomstoy invited the DIY talents of local residents on social networks. But the raccoon was determined. Even a good craftsman can enjoy his waterloo when night falls.
On specialized sites, advice is plentiful, but not simple. One recommends surrounding the chicken coop with a six-foot-high fence, with an 18-inch section buried underground.
Photo by EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA Press
To protect chickens, you need to protect the hen house, and don’t hope that moving raccoons will solve the problem, notes veterinarian Carolyn Gilstonk.
Scientific research has bad news for urban growers, T warnsD Killstonk.
“Researchers believe that urban raccoons are becoming more resourceful and mobile. Not that they can reason with their brains to understand how a latch or handle works. No, they try, try, try… and at some point it works. »
Victims of recent attacks in Quebec want to protect their chicken coops. But they don’t hide their fear.
In last week’s attack, Mme Tomstoy, hurt and thoughtful: Can she succeed in protecting the three chickens she left behind? She wonders if she wants to repeat such an episode for her daughters, ages 8 and 12, who bonded with chickens. The missing person is very friendly.
“It’s bloody, a raccoon attack. There are feathers everywhere, blood, it’s violence, she says. We don’t want to experience it often. It can slow people down. »
“Music geek. Coffee lover. Devoted food scholar. Web buff. Passionate internet guru.”
