Things You Wish You Would Have Known?

[Jensownzoo]

Yeah, not having fuzzy feelings about the wildlife right now...so sorry, @Coop de Grass

 

[Coop de Grass]

Yeah, not having fuzzy feelings about the wildlife right now...so sorry, @Coop de Grass

I used to be happy to have a pair of sharp shinned hawks nesting on our acre. They seem to have moved, which works out, but I do miss them. I wouldn't want to kill t hem. somehow, the raccoons are a different matter!

 

[Britney M]

Straight run 50/50 boy girl, chicken wire keeps chickens in however prediters like coons can pull chicken heads right through and other like mice rats mink can and will squeeze their way in when you live in an area with birds of pray cover tops of pens and provide free range chickens with hiding spots to get away from them

 

[Coop de Grass]

Straight run 50/50 boy girl, chicken wire keeps chickens in however prediters like coons can pull chicken heads right through and other like mice rats mink can and will squeeze their way in when you live in an area with birds of pray cover tops of pens and provide free range chickens with hiding spots to get away from them

I have hardware cloth on my runs, the small stuff on the first one, the 1" on the middle run. and also on the open windows.

 

[Shezadandy]

I have hardware cloth on my runs, the small stuff on the first one, the 1" on the middle run. and also on the open windows.

Love the stuff. Great for keeping li'l baby chicks inside the run and out of the cat's belly, as well as keeping heads on chickens when predators come lurking.

Also wonderful for windows as you said!

Window exterior (stapled 1/4" hwc to siding then screwed between window frame/siding
Window interior (framed 1/4" hwc and put on hinge)



Chicken run- eventually we did the whole 6ft vertical feet because the chicks can fly that high and potentially jump through the chain link above the original hardware cloth and into the cat's belly.

 

[Shezadandy]

@ChickenJesus I have been downsized. A coon took all 8 chicks before I got down to do the final lock up. More predator proofing in the middle run. Glad that I have a camera inside the coop, we actually saw it go past the window last night.

I wish I had known to set a reminder to go down to the runs. I got distracted, they paid the price.

So, so so sorry. =(((((

 

[Britney M]

That's a great idea it was a few year back that we had these predator problems I've since beefed up security for my ladies.

 

[Coop de Grass]

Love the stuff. Great for keeping li'l baby chicks inside the run and out of the cat's belly, as well as keeping heads on chickens when predators come lurking.

Also wonderful for windows as you said!

Window exterior (stapled 1/4" hwc to siding then screwed between window frame/siding
Window interior (framed 1/4" hwc and put on hinge)



Chicken run- eventually we did the whole 6ft vertical feet because the chicks can fly that high and potentially jump through the chain link above the original hardware cloth and into the cat's belly.

I really love how you did the framing, both exterior and interior. Especially the hinges. That would be much more secure than the washers and screws that I've used to attach it across the windows. Also means I can set it up once and not reinstall it every year.

 

[Shezadandy]

I really love how you did the framing, both exterior and interior. Especially the hinges. That would be much more secure than the washers and screws that I've used to attach it across the windows. Also means I can set it up once and not reinstall it every year.

Thank you! Good way to get some scrap wood used up too. There was more than one instance of fowl language

installing the hinges but worth it.

 

[lcertuche]

I just moved my chickens to a really secured shed but their isn't really any light to speak of. I've had two young chicks die this week. I think in the dark they were trampled by the older ones. I moved my little ones to a small chicken tractor. I don't really feel that they are really secure from predators in it though. I knew it was only a matter of before a predator got in the coop though. I plan on making bigger, more secure coups. I'm going to keep free ranging the guys but putting the gals in a tractor. I know what it's like to lose so many. Once my flock went from over 60 to less than 20 birds due to a couple of stray dogs.