Backyard Brahmas!!

[speckledhen]

Yes we had problems with that before so the henhouse we built has a door to be shut at night, the house itself sits some four feet off the ground. The wooded area is only separating us from some ten other houses in the neighborhood and we can see through to most of them. We are watching for predators and most of the dogs in the area run most predators off. The dogs themselves are shot at constantly with an air rifle, but the ones that don't get the message get the .22 rifle. Thank you for your concern though. I will be replacing it somewhere down the road eventually.

Over the past ten years, we've seen so many awful stories of flocks decimated by predators, chicken wire torn apart easily by just about anything. Many people think chicken wire is made for housing chickens, but it really is only great for maybe dividers inside a building or wrapping stronger wire with. Dogs themselves are the worst predators and sounds like you have a neighborhood full of roaming dogs. Wish you the best!

By the way there is chicken wire buried some two to three feet away from all sides of the coop.

Just to let you know, I also have had that, however, over time, it rusts away and it will crumble in your hands, even the galvanized stuff. You will eventually have to replace it. Welded wire lasts much longer so most of my coops have dig aprons from that, covered with huge rocks.

 

[autumnhearth]

Few things, besides the wire that SpeckledHen mentioned. It looks like the top of your run is open from the pictures. Bird netting or chicken wire would at least deter hawks, tin or plastic sheet roofing will keep out predators and lessen the mud and smell of wet droppings (we are about to switch from bird netting to clear plastic roof for this reason). The coop doesn't look like it has very good ventilation. I'm assuming that's suppose to be perch in the corner of your run, it looks very flimsy. I worry about it snapping under their weight or being difficult to balance on and harming their joints. I nice thick fallen branch would be better or at least a 1x1 or 2x4. But I do like the flower box you attached.

 

[Amberjem]

Amberjem, Why what?

do you prefere and like the light brahma the best?

expanded chicken coop!

lots of good suggestions above what a charming lil coop it is
just finished expanding my coop as well just have to paint and pretty it up at this point

 

[bumpercarr]

I only lose chicks to hawks, and that is pretty rare although I have plenty of them around here. I think that they don't like the size of the adults and have decided to hunt elsewhere. However, I know that some folks do lose their brahmas to hawks (although I haven't heard of any lately....like I said, seems mostly chicks and juveniles).

 

[bamadude]

Dang. Kinda rough on Toby...my coop is an old jeep willys.

 

[speckledhen]

Dang. Kinda rough on Toby...my coop is an old jeep willys.

Nobody is being rough on Toby. They are trying to help him avoid a disaster and/or sick birds. Coops need more than chicken wire to keep predators out and they all need good ventilation so moisture will not build up from poop and respiration and cause ammonia, eye issues and other illnesses.

An example of a good way to create ventilation using hardware cloth and a hinged board:

 

[bamadude]

Its pretty amazing that chickens are a good bit older than hardware cloth. Seems chickens should be extinct by now

 

[bumpercarr]

Dang. Kinda rough on Toby...my coop is an old jeep willys.

How could you turn a Willy into a coop! My heart is breaking....I've been looking for one to restore for about 3 years now....

Toby's coop looks fine to me. I think each of us has to do what we need to do. For instance, I don't have wire or netting over my runs...my choice. If and when I have an airborne predator problem, I'll reconsider. I also don't have wire under to make it dig proof...again, I don't need to yet. I don't use chicken wire, but I use electric netting instead. Mine would probably be considered semi-free range.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

I agree bamadude. Mine are in a chain link dog kennel with deer net over the top. It keeps out dogs who sport kill but to keep everything else out would cost me more than I make in a year. if I lose one or two to coons I eradicate the coon In the next few nights and we go on. It is what you are prepared for. I mean barbed wire doesnt protect cattle but its been used for centuries.

 

[bamadude]

Lol. Bumpercar: you would not want to take on restoring this Willys. Its in bad shape. Its rusted out so I get plenty of ventilation. Its basically the bed and rear quarter panels. You can have it if u will haul it off