What makes a coop "Fort Knox" predator proof?

[Trish1974]

Just throwing this out there... I'm sure most you pros already know this but for newbies like me this was very valuable information. The gentleman who built my coop said any lock that goes on a coop should be a two-step lock to deter raccoons, and if a toddler can undo it so will a raccoon.

 

[alibabba]

Surely it's in here. Just haven't read through every post.
***Electric Fence!! - just strand wire. Been using for years. Never a breach! Even if it goes down in snow for a day or so, or i forget to plug it in, the preds are trained. They don't come into my yard. My birds bite!

No digging. No work, I can throw a pen together quicky and easily and sleep well.

You only need the smallest charger and 2 strands, one at 4 inches, one at about 2-3 feet. Simple.

Hawks will get a bird when free ranging, cover free range area with criss crossed twine, and /or lots of random obstacles. ( a whoop of welded wire, branches, whatever.) Hawks generally won't come down where there is no space to maneuver, they don't want to damage their wings

 

[K0k0shka]

I haven't built my coop and run yet, but I want to share a story from a neighbor that I found very surprising and now I don't know what to do with the information. It may or may not be useful here. I inherited a whole bunch of welded wire fencing panels from a neighbor who no longer keeps chickens. She bragged about how she built a Fort Knox with these panels, and in the 16 years she kept chickens, she never had any predator issues, even though she lives on the edge of the woods and would leave the coop's pop door open year round, day and night. I was seriously impressed by this, and was happy to take all her fencing panels (secure! and free! the best combination!). That was before I started reading through BYC and learned that the openings have to be quite small for the run/coop to be considered "safe"... I went back to my new panels and measured them. Their holes are... 2x2 inches...

So, I guess this could be good news or bad news. Good news that you can still have a "Fort Knox" even without killing yourself with a 1/4" mesh that's more expensive... Or bad news that now I have totally inadequate fencing and will need to spend $$$ anyway. We're in MA and theoretically we do have fisher cats in the state, and they can probably fit through a 2" opening... And now I don't know what to do. Maybe the lesson here is that predator presence varies GREATLY not just from state to state, but within the same state, between counties, towns, who knows... maybe she doesn't have fisher cats on her street, but we do on ours... and there's no way to know until you know.

 

[K0k0shka]

My electric wire was charged by our portable fence charger we used at horse shows/rodeos. The charger just plugs into a marine battery. Instead of being tied the entire time, it allowed the horses a little room to move around the trailer. It has an on/off switch on it and I only turned it on at night (after all my other animals were made “believers”). It was never on when my grandchildren were out running around.

I clearly need to read up on electric fencing... If I can turn it on and off easily, and if it can deter things as large as a horse, then this is sounding really promising!! Was it expensive?

 

[NHMountainMan]

You’ve done an outstanding job with the coop and run. I didn’t read every reply so I’m probably being redundant, but please get that 2’ hardware cloth skirt down soon. The weather is about to turn colder, which signals most mammals, and all likely predators, to increase calories and add fat. Fisher, weasels, mink, , even though they hunt through winter, are trying to store excess calories. The 1/2” rule will keep everything out. But for areas like windows, doors-jams make sure they are tight. Weasel family, especially fisher, will chew a small hole into a large hole. So look for gaps.
Overall- it’s a chicken palace, built like Fort Knox- well done.

 

[Cre8tivechik]

Amazing job! My husband worked in a maximum security prison for years, so he was my go to. We buried the wire cloth about a 1' 1/2 deep. We poured concrete for the inner coops. Security is certainly a concern! We live in the middle of the woods in Idaho. You have to try and think like a varmint! You've pretty well nailed it! Best of luck to you!

Hi everyone! Reading here, I see we all have predator issues, which vary greatly depending on where we live. I'm in Southeast MI(60 miles N of Detroit) in a rural area. Our main predators are fox, coyote, hawks, owls, opossum, and skunks, and the ever popular raccoon. Snakes are generally not an issue, although we do have garter snakes(those are the only ones I've ever seen.) This is my first year having chickens and I have built my coop as close to predator proof as I believe it can be, and was wondering what everyone else considers to be "Fort Knox" safe. I covered the eaves with 1/4" hardware cloth attached with screws and fender washers. The windows and one pop door(that isn't used) are also covered on the inside in the same manner. The coop is 4x8, 2 1/2' off the ground, so it would be hard for anything to get in from underneath the coop. The run surrounds 3 sides of the coop, total dimensions are 16'x16' with 4' of one end comprised of the coop itself. This is completely covered in 1/2" hardware cloth again attached with screws and fender washers. The top of the run is 2x4's attached to the coop and top edge of the run walls with joist hangers screwed in, and completely covered in 1/2" hardware cloth as well. There are no openings in the hardware cloth larger than 1/2" anywhere. Not done yet , but to be finished before the weather gets cold is a 2' skirt of 1/2" hardware cloth attached along the bottom 2x4 of the run walls again with screws and fender washers to prevent diggers from getting in. So far, so good. My weak points, that I can see are the window sash locks on the back doors. IF anything got in they could easily undo them. My plan to remedy this is to attach something to the door handles that will prevent them from opening even if the sash locks are undone. Like a chain through them with a lock or something There is space around the gate to the run, that the hardware cloth extends over an opening greater than 1/2" to allow the door to swing in all weather. This is mainly along the latch side. My plan to counter this is to screw a 3-4" strip of plywood the length of the sash side, on the outside that will act as a "stop" and also cover the gap. Sorry I don't have a picture of the gate. Here are a few pics to illustrate. Now, please share what you have done to build "Fort Knox" and also suggest what you would do differently if you were me( or other posters as the case may be.) Maybe we can all get some tips and tricks that will help us keep our cheeps safe.

 

[JenniferCNY]

@zndzant
I kept my roosting trays the same as the plan and they are working out fine for containment purposes. I also use sweet pdz and scoop every day. I like that I can take them out for a deeper cleaning, as needed.

 

[K0k0shka]

I am going to say if the size of chicken wire holes are not adequate, neither would this be.

Wait, wasn't the recommended HC size 1 inch?? I thought the issue with chicken wire was that animals can chew through it, not so much the hole size...

 

[K0k0shka]

The thing is, we're only planning on having like 3 chickens total, so not a lot of room for losses... I'll try 1"x1" holes and if something STILL gets in, I'm running electricity along the fence and setting land mines filled with cayenne pepper around the perimeter

 

[K0k0shka]

After all my ‘curious’ pets (dogs and cats) were each lit up once, it was no longer needed. Even after 3 years, I’m convinced one of my dogs still thinks those chickens will shock her.

I might consider it, except I don't want my kids lit up Hardware cloth it is then...