Chicken tractor with cattle panels 2 x 3 is it safe?

[arubio92]

Hi I'm planning to design a chicken tractor for my 6 chickens to wander a few hours during the morning and evenings. I work from home but I'm not outside all the time, wondering if a design like this would keep them safe? I have chicken wire and plan to cover it from all sides and also have cattle panels with 2 x 3 holes, would this be enough to keep them safe from racoons and coyotes? Or at least give me time to go out and scare any predator? I don't plan to leave them there fully unattended, if I have to go out of home they would go in their safe run covered with HW cloth. This is not my picture but this is similar to what I have in mind.

 

[Krugerrand]

Hi I'm planning to design a chicken tractor for my 6 chickens to wander a few hours during the morning and evenings. I work from home but I'm not outside all the time, wondering if a design like this would keep them safe? I have chicken wire and plan to cover it from all sides and also have cattle panels with 2 x 3 holes, would this be enough to keep them safe from racoons and coyotes? Or at least give me time to go out and scare any predator? I don't plan to leave them there fully unattended, if I have to go out of home they would go in their safe run covered with HW cloth. This is not my picture but this is similar to what I have in mind.

View attachment 3603992

Do you know if you have many active predators in the daytime? If the top isn't covered, I would expect a hawk may take stab at what's in there.

 

[arubio92]

Do you know if you have many active predators in the daytime? If the top isn't covered, I would expect a hawk may take stab at what's in there.

Raccoons is all I've seen during the day. Never seen a hawk before, but would those fit through the chicken wire and the 2 x 4 welded wire?

 

[Krugerrand]

Raccoons is all I've seen during the day. Never seen a hawk before, but would those fit through the chicken wire and the 2 x 4 welded wire?

I guess I'm not understanding things, as I'm going based mostly on the picture. I would expect a hawk to fit through cattle panel. Raccoon will tear through chicken wire, so whatever is left after that should be tight enough to hold them back. Plus, they don't mind reaching for their snack and pulling it out in pieces.

 

[tlcmurphy]

Raccoons will definitely reach through that, grab a chicken by the head, and try to pull it through. Not predator safe.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Raccoons will definitely reach through that, grab a chicken by the head, and try to pull it through. Not predator safe.

as @aart always says, Ditto dat!

 

[arubio92]

Raccoons will definitely reach through that, grab a chicken by the head, and try to pull it through. Not predator safe.

So the only way to have a predator safe tractor is HW cloth?

 

[ChickyCh00k]

So the only way to have a predator safe tractor is HW cloth?

 

[tlcmurphy]

Yes

 

[jpalmatier83]

So the only way to have a predator safe tractor is HW cloth?

It’s really kind of a spectrum. You need to identify potential predators, how attentive you can be, and what your risk tolerance is.

Those cattle panels- fine for large dogs, coyotes, etc.

Add chicken wire, that’ll keep out cats, mink too.

1/2 or 1/4 inch hardware cloth, that should stop raccoons, mink, etc. most snakes too.

But, do you need to bury a hardware cloth apron to keep tunneling stuff out?

Like someone had mentioned, threats from the sky like hawks…

I personally don’t believe anything is COMPLETELY predator proof. So I choose my battles. I would think the cattle panels, covered with chicken wire is going to stop 99% of daytime predators for a couple hours at a time and I would take my chances.

Your mileage may vary.