Run construction/predators/cost

[Tahai]

You said Racoons. That says it all to me. Make it as predator proof as you can afford. Raccoons are like water. Give them enough time, and they will exploit any potential opening. I lost 4 flocks over 10 years to Raccoons. Each new flock, I would add more protection, thinking I fnally had it this time! My girls would be safe for a year or so, and then the eggs would start disappearing again. Then I'd start coming home to dead hens.

This time around I've build Fort Knox, similar to your first coop. Fully enclosed hardware cloth run, dig skirt, highly secure coop fully inside the run.

Best wishes.

 

[imacowgirl2]

Thank you for your response. I really feel better hearing the different strategies people use, and knowing I have some options. I've done an entire run in hardware cloth before and I don't think my hands or wallet can take that again!

Just to clarify, do you have 2x4 welded wire from the bottom to the top of the walls, and then chicken wire doubling over the bottom two feet? Your predator situation sounds very similar to mine. We also have a ton of raccoons at night, plenty of foxes at night, and hawks during the day. I just saw a hawk sitting on my fence (I gave him a dirty look for good measure and I think he gave me "the wing").

You mentioned heavy duty hawk netting, I just placed an order from Pinon Hatch Farms for Heavy Knotted Poultry Netting 2" Mesh. Do you think that will be effective? Do you have supports for the netting in winter weather? We don't get as much snow/ice in Baltimore as you do in Illinois, but we do get some.

Thanks again!!

Yes, my 2x4 wire goes top to bottom and chicken wire overlaps the bottom 2 feet. And that is the exact hawk netting I have . I have two runs…in one my netting is supported by a steel cable that is run between two trees, and in my second run it is held up by a couple of 8’ 2x4 boards in a bucket of concrete. I much prefer the one with the cable, there aren’t as many low spots to duck under when working in the run, but my second run didn’t have any conveniently placed trees, so we make do with the posts in the buckets.

 

[imacowgirl2]

This is my second run, the one with the posts holding the netting. This run actually don’t have chicken wire at the bottom yet either since there haven’t been any chicks in it since I built it, but it’s on the to do list.

This is inside my first run, you can see the chicken wire overlapping the 2x4 welded wire — this particular part of the run has pallets as the frame, but if I would have known then what I know now, I would have just put up the 2x4 fencing with T-posts, like I did with my second run…the pallets were an unnecessary pain in the butt.

 

[David61]

Tee posts and 2x4 animal wire in the ground 8". Hawk net from pinnion hatch farms 25'x50' 2in mesh $79. Heavy duty snow rated and lasts 10 years. My run is 10x30 and i use two center poles and the end of the coop.
You can add a hot wire to the run but if your yard is already fenced in, why bother.

 

[fuzzi]

I was debating between chicken wire mesh and hardware cloth for the run, and was advised to spend the extra money and go with HWC. I bought a roll on AMZN for a little over $80. It was 4 foot wide 1/2" mesh, 50 feet long. It was just enough to do the walls and skirt of my new run. My run is under a metal roof.

At least I know that I can leave the place for a day or two, and feel pretty secure that the chickens are safe in the run. The extra money was worth the peace of mind to me.

Something that helped offset the cost of the HWC was that most of the lumber I used was cull lumber from Home Depot. They usually have a stack of boards marked down 70%. I bought a LOT of discount lumber, and have some left over for other projects.

The dang screws were the worst. I went through one 5 pound box and two 3 pound boxes of 3" or 3 1/2" screws. Those alone were around $75. Plus I bought a 5 pound box of 1 5/8" screws, $40, but used less than a pound of those. Lots of fasteners used!

And the fender washers...I used a ton of those!

 

[Smokerbill]

And the fender washers...I used a ton of those!

I didn't go the screw/washer combo to attach the HWC. I bought a cheap pneumatic narrow crown stapler at Harbor Freight and used 3/4 inch leg length staples to attach the mesh to the framing. Over the stapled wire edges, I used 1-1/4" staples to mount 2" wide by 3/8" thick slats. It won't come down easy, but it was pretty fast putting up.

 

[deidreg]

I was debating between chicken wire mesh and hardware cloth for the run, and was advised to spend the extra money and go with HWC. I bought a roll on AMZN for a little over $80. It was 4 foot wide 1/2" mesh, 50 feet long. It was just enough to do the walls and skirt of my new run. My run is under a metal roof.

At least I know that I can leave the place for a day or two, and feel pretty secure that the chickens are safe in the run. The extra money was worth the peace of mind to me.

Something that helped offset the cost of the HWC was that most of the lumber I used was cull lumber from Home Depot. They usually have a stack of boards marked down 70%. I bought a LOT of discount lumber, and have some left over for other projects.

The dang screws were the worst. I went through one 5 pound box and two 3 pound boxes of 3" or 3 1/2" screws. Those alone were around $75. Plus I bought a 5 pound box of 1 5/8" screws, $40, but used less than a pound of those. Lots of fasteners used!

I bought the same roll of AWC three years ago. Happy to report it's going strong. No predator attacks.

 

[arubio92]

Hi, can you please share your security features in your coop and run? I jist lost my first 3 hens to a raccoon, I only had them for 15 days, I don't want to bring home more hens just to die. I just had 4 vents covered with HW cloth and they ripped one and got in through there. I want to rebuilt and try again.

You said Racoons. That says it all to me. Make it as predator proof as you can afford. Raccoons are like water. Give them enough time, and they will exploit any potential opening. I lost 4 flocks over 10 years to Raccoons. Each new flock, I would add more protection, thinking I fnally had it this time! My girls would be safe for a year or so, and then the eggs would start disappearing again. Then I'd start coming home to dead hens.

This time around I've build Fort Knox, similar to your first coop. Fully enclosed hardware cloth run, dig skirt, highly secure coop fully inside the run.

Best wishes.

can

 

[Sally PB]

I'm Not sure if I need to worry about other predators getting in during the day.

My neighbor often sees raccoons on her deck in the middle of the afternoon.

I just had 4 vents covered with HW cloth and they ripped one and got in through there

How was the HW cloth attached? I have mine held on with small strips of wood screwed into the wooden frame of the run, so the HWC is sandwiched.

I also attach a lot of things (fencing, HWC) with zip ties to metal frame pieces.

 

[arubio92]

My neighbor often sees raccoons on her deck in the middle of the afternoon.

How was the HW cloth attached? I have mine held on with small strips of wood screwed into the wooden frame of the run, so the HWC is sandwiched.

I also attach a lot of things (fencing, HWC) with zip ties to metal frame pieces.

The HW cloth was attached with 1 inch heavy duty staples. Now I know that was a very dumb way