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Is it necessary to put a top on the chicken yard and run

post #1 of 5
4/8/12 at 2:09pm
Thread Starter 

Have a nice sturdy coop built.  I will build an area surrounding the coop so that I may leave

them be for a couple days at a time.  I am in Texas.  There are owls and foxes, skunks.

Is it necessary to put a top on the outside fenced area they will have access to with door open

to coop when I am away?

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post #2 of 5
4/8/12 at 2:12pm

if you plan on leaving the door open it would probably be a good idea. To keep hawks and owls out. And defiantly if y'all got raccoons too.

Father of 1 2yr old daughter, 1 beagle/basset hound, 1 pit bull/basset mix, 1 mutt chicken, and 2 dominique pullets, 2 rir pullets

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Father of 1 2yr old daughter, 1 beagle/basset hound, 1 pit bull/basset mix, 1 mutt chicken, and 2 dominique pullets, 2 rir pullets

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post #3 of 5
4/8/12 at 5:14pm

Yes, it's a good idea. I leave the popdoor open 24/7 and went all out and gave them a hardwarecloth enclosed 20x32 ft outside space with a 7x8 coop inside it. And since we discovered yesterday that we have a bear prowling about I'm going to enclose this whole thing in a electric netting fence.  Here's a picture w/o the electronet since I still have to get it:

50870_101.jpg

16 hens own me.  3 Black Australorps, 3 Dominiques, 2 Golden Laced Wyandottes, 3 Welsummers, 3 golden comets, 1 New Hampshire Red and 1 Ameraucana. 

Chicken Math in action -- sell three, buy seven -- build another coop - harvest two, order 12. New chicks arriving in May 2013! 6 Ameraucana's and 6 Anconas.

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16 hens own me.  3 Black Australorps, 3 Dominiques, 2 Golden Laced Wyandottes, 3 Welsummers, 3 golden comets, 1 New Hampshire Red and 1 Ameraucana. 

Chicken Math in action -- sell three, buy seven -- build another coop - harvest two, order 12. New chicks arriving in May 2013! 6 Ameraucana's and 6 Anconas.

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post #4 of 5
4/8/12 at 6:11pm

It is always best, yes. The list of aerial predators you mentioned is enough to warrant it.

 

Peace... David
"Poetry often comes in through the window of irrelevance"

 

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Peace... David
"Poetry often comes in through the window of irrelevance"

 

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post #5 of 5
4/8/12 at 7:07pm
Thread Starter 

Well, guess that is a a yes....thank you.

 

My main motive is for tick eating, of course eggs will be lovely.  We've a real problem here the past three years.  The wasps stopped building nests...and now I have ticks and a couple of dogs..ugh.

 

I know Guineas are tick monsters..but noisy, so I am going to do chickens.  Are there breeds that will do better with these bad boys that we know of?  

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BackYard Chickens › BYC Forum › Raising BackYard Chickens › Predators and Pests › Is it necessary to put a top on the chicken yard and run