analyze my coop security

[gloken]

Hey, I just finished building an enclosure, and I'm looking for some advice on its security. The coop is about eight feet long and fully enclosed in galvanized wire, and roofed. The plan would be to let the birds into a larger area occasionally, but this is the "secure" area they could remain in over night.

As shown in the picture, the cage is relatively coyote proof. The salivating dog there would have a hard time getting through the mesh.

I have two security concerns:

1) The gap in that mesh is a couple inches high, and I'm sure a weasel could scoot through it. Are weasels active during the day, and should this be a concern? At night they'd all be locked securely in the hutch portion.

2) The mesh stops at the two by four frame. Should I try to build some kind of under ground skirt to prevent digging? Again, they'd be locked up in the hutch overnight.





Note: There's no door pictured for the hutch, but my intention is to install one tonight.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If they're locked at night, the skirting might not be necessary. It won't take long however, for a dog or fox to dig under it and the hens will end up digging dust baths which will be big holes next to the fence.

As for weasels, they won't be a problem till they deplete their natural food and then they become quite a menace. After they kill all they can get to at night, they'll start killing during the day. They killed 8 chicks in the middle of the afternoon last week, not to mention 5 entire flocks of adult chickens at night before I knew what was killing them or how they were getting in.

 

[jetdog]

Hey, I just finished building an enclosure, and I'm looking for some advice on its security. The coop is about eight feet long and fully enclosed in galvanized wire, and roofed. The plan would be to let the birds into a larger area occasionally, but this is the "secure" area they could remain in over night. As shown in the picture, the cage is relatively coyote proof. The salivating dog there would have a hard time getting through the mesh. I have two security concerns: 1) The gap in that mesh is a couple inches high, and I'm sure a weasel could scoot through it. Are weasels active during the day, and should this be a concern? At night they'd all be locked securely in the hutch portion. 2) The mesh stops at the two by four frame. Should I try to build some kind of under ground skirt to prevent digging? Again, they'd be locked up in the hutch overnight. Note: There's no door pictured for the hutch, but my intention is to install one tonight.

You might want to consider putting hardware cloth around the entire bottom to keep heads in and paws out, anything will be able to reach in and grab a chicken, 2 feet should be safe.

 

[6of6chicks]

I second the hardware cloth. Better safe than sorry.

 

[gloken]

Thanks, that's something I keep hearing, and it sounds like I'll have to do it.
I've been thinking about the "keeping heads in" issue, because the birds don't seem to have a whole lot of survival sense where that's concerned.

 

[Michael OShay]

I second the hardware cloth. Better safe than sorry.

X3 on the hardware cloth. You should completely cover the run in it and put skirting around the base of the run to keep digging predators out. Good luck in predator proofing your coop.