Oh and we were going to herd them into the coop at night right as dusk in the beginning before we have the run. When we have the run they will still have free range access at certain times.
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What are some examples of raccoon proof latches? Right now there is a big turn latch on the shed doors, it is designed for a lock to be in it but we don't, and it's semi rusted so it takes good force to get it unlatched lol.
The simplest is a padlock, but those can be a pain if you don't want to deal with it each time. Generally you want something that requires two simultaneous actions to open because raccoons can figure out stepwise latches. For example, instead of a standard hook-and-eye latch, they make one with a spring closure that you have to hold back to be able to remove the hook from the eye
We want to add a "screen door" made of wire cloth to put inside the shed door as a second layer of protection.
We are putting chicken wire over the vents/Windows and there are two cents at the top of the shed that were there structurally but we are thinking of taking them out and just putting chicken wire over those.
Unfortunately, chicken wire is good for keeping chickens IN, but not for keeping predators OUT. They can tear right through it. That's why hardware cloth--and yes, I know how much more expensive it is! I just covered a duck house with it last night...
I know the squirrels once thought the shed was there home but we've cleaned their crap/nests/acorn stash up and kicked them out. Do you think they will disturb the chickens when they're out there?
I've no experience with this one. I've got enough predators that I've only seen one squirrel and absolutely no rabbits despite keeping my chickens in a rural area on a wooded lot.
For bedding we are going with deep litter method. So hay at the bottom with some sprinkled DE and then about 6inches of pine shavings.
Deep litter seems to work best on dirt floors because you want the microorganisms to migrate up and extra moisture to drain down...it's essentially a chicken compost pile. If you mean deep bedding, then any floor will do and it's my preferred method
Proud mama here! Celebrating my first dozen eggs today!
Awesome news! My neighbor and I are still waiting to see which 'sister chick' lays first... but we have a while to go to August. Soo egg-cited for you!!!
Proud mama here! Celebrating my first dozen eggs today!