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.

 

[RezChamp]

I have gone so far as burying (2 ft straight down) 9 gauge chain link fencing and when that didn't work I added a horizontal 4' dig barrier the entire perimeter including the gate. I had already covered the entire area with 4inch(2X2) mesh nylon fishing net during the spring of year 2. My gate was pretty much solid iron(part of a grate from a rock screener) with 10X4" hinges(the kind found on them big old barns) welded on and quite literally bolted to 8ftX6" treated posts driven 2 ft into the ground.
An eagle was wounded on the ariel defence mechanism(net) and a few owls were injured and/or killed as were a few Hawks some of those being on the protected and or endangered list. Not to mention the scores of stray dogs and cats that way outnumber the indigenous species of "predators" by roughly 1000% somehow finding their way in my"predator proof" Fort Domestic Aviary.
Sooo! Year 4 saw me forego all the expense and apparently ineffectual effort of constructing 210'X210' by 10'H cement fortress with a 2'thick cement floor then add soil and other strata and plant grasses and legumes then cover the whole works with a pyramid shaped roof of 1/2" plexiglass plates secured with 1/4" aluminum angle iron...well, I believe y'all get the idea...but instead bought a 12guage throwing magnum charged 2&3/4,3&3&1/2 '00'BuckShot out of a 36" barrel.
Way I see it is better to die rather than suffer for a few days then die after a few days after being busted up inside (or worse yet a broken spirit).
People who suffer the loss of a "cherished per" that was roaming and killing livestock on the other hand,......I strongly feel they deserve to feel that loss.
I personally think the shotgun costing about 1% of the former chicken run is a heck of a lot more effective

 

[RezChamp]

Oooops!
To add I've actually cut my losses to about 10%.
Perks are less cat predation on the local endemic species of birds and animals from cats and dogs.
Usually a cpl of blasts from a shotgun teaches pretty much anything to steer clear.
Saddly some stubborn and/or dumb(or whatever explanation) individuals end up never returning......here or home.....in this world.

 

[TerryH]

Predator proofing should be at the top of any chicken keepers list. We were determined to keep our flock safe both in coop and run. The coop is of normal house type construction. 2x4 walls with studs 16" on center, Plywood siding, 3/4" t and g flooring and a corrugated metal roof. All windows in the coop are covered with 1/2" hardware cloth interior doors. The coop also has a hardware cloth screen door for added ventilation. Permanent ventilation is also covered with 1/2" hardware cloth. The run has 4x4's in concrete with 2x6 and 2x4 framing. Double layer wire using 1/2" hardware cloth on the lower 4' and regular chicken wire on the upper portion and all of that is covered with 2x4 welded wire. There are anti digging wire aprons all around. The entire run is covered with corrugated metal roofing. Nothing is 100% but we feel pretty confident in our setup.





[/url

[url=https://flic.kr/p/HEyrC3]

Video tour...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gujcRVW0II[/url]

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Your set up looks great. I have what looks to be the same coop. I feel like I've been tempting fate with only having chicken wire on the run. Time to cover it in hardware cloth.

Did you insulate your coop? I'm in central NY state. How cold are your winters?

I'm in Broome co NY so we have about the same weather. My main coop is made of rough cut 2×6 Lumber. No insulation and no frozen birds. They acclimated to the weather.

 

[rottlady]

Predator proofing should be at the top of any chicken keepers list. We were determined to keep our flock safe both in coop and run. The coop is of normal house type construction. 2x4 walls with studs 16" on center, Plywood siding, 3/4" t and g flooring and a corrugated metal roof. All windows in the coop are covered with 1/2" hardware cloth interior doors. The coop also has a hardware cloth screen door for added ventilation. Permanent ventilation is also covered with 1/2" hardware cloth. The run has 4x4's in concrete with 2x6 and 2x4 framing. Double layer wire using 1/2" hardware cloth on the lower 4' and regular chicken wire on the upper portion and all of that is covered with 2x4 welded wire. There are anti digging wire aprons all around. The entire run is covered with corrugated metal roofing. Nothing is 10% but we feel pretty confident in our setup.





[/url



Video tour...

 

[TerryH]

Thank you Diane!

 

[10AcreChick]

TerryM, that is a beautiful coop!

Gosh, reading all these posts make me feel extremely grateful that I do not have problems with predators. Though I think it has more to do with the location than the construction of the coop/run. My coop is 8x12 and built about a foot off the ground. It is built with 4x4 posts set in concrete in the ground, plywood and 2x4 walls. The top is metal. Any windows I have for ventilation have been covered with 1/2" hardware cloth. We have a black snake on our property that occasionally goes in for eggs, but hasn't ever messed with the chickens. All doors are either latched with the hook and spring latches (must have opposable thumbs to operate) or latch from the inside. My chickens are free range, so for a long time I did not even have a run. I built one this summer to just keep the chickens in during part of the day to control the amount of poop in the yards around the house. It's built to keep them in, not really keep anything out. It doesn't even have a top.

I credit most of the protection to the coop's location. Located just outside of the dog's in ground electric fence, the dogs can't get to the chicken coop, though the chickens can come into the dogs yard, but they are close enough that they can see and bark at anything moving, and they are outside dogs, who roam everywhere at night. My dogs don't mess with my chickens anyway. The coop is in the middle of a mowed lawn, at least 100 ft from any tall grass or woods. So any predator would have to traverse open ground to investigate. Not much shade available, but I planted a maple tree for the future and they are free range anyway, so they go find it themselves. I think the biggest advantage is the absence of hawks to prey on the little ones. There is an old barn next to our property where these HUGE turkey vultures stay, and they only eat carrion, but I think they deter hawks from visiting the area. You can hear the coyotes howling at night. I only had one incident of an attack. We went on a camping trip and left the chickens out with the dogs for three days. The person who was supposed to lock them up failed to do so. Well, I guess something got brave eventually, but the dogs did the best they could to minimize the damage. Only lost 3 of 40.

The only times I have ever had trouble or close calls is when I forget to lock them up, and that has pretty much become as routine and putting the kids to bed! I live in Missouri, so we have LOTS of predators, like owls, coyotes, tons of opossums and the occasional mountain lion.

 

[chickie farmer]

If your window latches are on the outside of your door, then you need to turn the door around so the latches are on the inside of the coop. you may have to turn your door latch around too. I also live about 60 miles north of lansing and your coop and run looks somewhat set up like mine.

 

[Finnie]

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.

Second try, first one got lost in cyberspace. Your setup looks really great and secure! Re the floor of the run, there is a great video on this page: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update/5360 (Posted by @Beekissed