Repeated deadly attacks in one of 3 pens--suspect raccoon



This is the light I have up for my run since running electric out there was way too expensive!! It has stopped many things from sticking around including my dog. Thought I would throw the idea out there for you! This solar light really does wonders and is as bright as a hard wired light. Good luck!
Thank you! That's great! It's not that the coop is a huge distance but it is far enough that it has no electric access (yet). The property is jusr 2.5 acres. I was discussing with a friend this evening the safety pros and cons of running at least an extension cord up there. I'm nervous taking risks with electricity. But solar powered would be the best on so many fronts. I do have several very good light fixtures IF they could be attached to solar. Or this idea is all built-in. Who'd have thought keeping chickens was going to run me this money. It makes sense when I think of it objectively but of course it's impossible to do that until there exists something to be objectively observed...
 
Thanks everyone who posted links!
This issue is very insidious. Last night I went out last at 1:30 a.m. and first this morning at 4:30 a.m.One had been killed while I slept.
Ironically I've spent over a year teaching these chickens that they Must go into the coop at night. Yesterday I was wishing they'd free range and roost high in the trees until I get the improvements done.
I have a friend coming over today to help with running temporary electric up to the coop. "Temporary" because I know electric lines need to be in-ground etc. But while I work on gathering the things I need to buy, I'm going to try remedies with what I have here now.
I am of very humble financial means. The costs of what you all are showing me a really reasonable. It's just hard to come by "extra" money for me. But I will.
I'll also post pics of any improvements I get made.
I was offered a type of mesh (not ideal but free) made of hard plastic that I can use to lay over the other layers. My thinking is that it might just slow the predators down a few minutes since I believe they'd chew through it. I'll post a pic of that also. By tonight at the very least there should be lights on.
 
May I ask, until the issue is resolved and additional security measures are in place is it not an option to transfer the birds from this coop into the other two coops that are not suffering predation? It may not be ideal due to either mixing of the flocks or space concerns, but sometimes the risk of those can be outweighed by the reward of not losing more birds.
As to the plastic mesh, yes, it will be gone right through - the slowing will be minimal, at best, especially now that your predator(s) have come to consider this coop as their own, personal, all-you-can-eat buffet.
 

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