Best Coop Fence

[GoldbachFuzzyButtFarm]

I'm looking into getting this coop or something similar. Currently I only have a dog kennel that we converted into a coop but my addiction needs needs more space! My question is, what is the best sort of fencing I could get to use instead of the cheaper stuff it comes with? My neighbor has lost so many chickens the past couple months by something raiding her I'm so nervous about getting a new coop and it not being strong enough! Suggestions please on what you recommend!

 

[Tami2]

Looks similar to the one I got. Got it from Amazon & it's a 26'. With the 26' we got two white tarps. Most of our coop fits nicely under the tarps.
However, we are going to add an electric outer fence b/c we have a ton of predators where we live.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08N5YMYTX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

 

[GoldbachFuzzyButtFarm]

Looks similar to the one I got. Got it from Amazon & it's a 26'. With the 26' we got two white tarps. Most of our coop fits nicely under the tarps.
However, we are going to add an electric outer fence b/c we have a ton of predators where we live.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08N5YMYTX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

That's where I was looking at it on was Amazon. We will be putting on a cement slab, so I don't need to worry so much about animals digging under it. I'm just worried of them breaking through it. How have you liked yours overall? Are they worth the investment? I've looked at so many of them and they seem pretty much the same.

 

[Tami2]

We like it a lot. Our girls are still young + we don't have the electric fence up yet. So, they aren't in it full time. I've been putting them out every day the temp is in the 80s. So far so good. We need a top b/c we have many flying predators as well as land.

Cement slab, nice! We put chicken wire fencing 2' in front of our 26' enclosure & 2' inside. (for the digging predators)

 

[GoldbachFuzzyButtFarm]

Okay, that makes me feel better! I was looking at maybe getting 1/2" hardwire cloth to go around the bottom instead of the wire the coop comes with. I don't want to go electric because of having little kids who love going up the chickens as much as I do. And we want to tarp the whole top to keep them shaded and to keep the rain out.

 

[Tami2]

We considered that as well. But, we have way too many predators in our area including Black Bears. So, we didn't think the 1/2" hardware cloth would be enough. I think the tallest we found was about 4'. That wouldn't cut it.

Hopefully, some of the more experienced members will chime in.

Best of luck!

 

[perkolator]

Did predators break into the neighbors coop? What type of fencing did they have? Any ideas what type of predator?

Chicken wire isn’t very strong on it’s own but if it came with it and depending on the predators, I’d consider using it and adding hardware cloth to strengthen it up and secure the bottom perimeter from raccoons reaching in.

If you have bigger predators maybe add welded wire, heavy woven wire, electric fence, etc to beef it up. You can also consider other premade run structures at that point once you factor the cost of these additional fencing materials, as something like dog run panels or chain link panels may start making more sense vs that coop run structure with very little structural support behind the fencing - which is very important for defense against large predators.

In regard to fencing sizes, simply attach panels together to expand them - hog rings, outdoor or metal zip ties, bolts, galvanized wire, screwing to wood, etc. whatever works

 

[GoldbachFuzzyButtFarm]

We are 99% sure it was raccoons. They dug up under her small coop where she kept her very young chickens. This is the 2nd time they were able to break into it. The first time they wiggled the door loose, then she got it permanently shut, now this time they dug up and under. I feel like it was a coon because it had to have reached up and under to grab them. But do also have coyotes and bobcats in the area as well.
We currently have a dog kennel as our coop, but I'm getting WAY to many chickens, lol. And what I was hoping to do, I hope I can explain this okay that it makes sense, but I actually wanted to keep our current coop inside of the new coop. We get alot of young birds and I want a way to keep them separated from my older ones until they are ready. And when we don't any young ones I can have the door mounted open so it would be one giant coop. Plus the old coop will allow spaces to hang our nesting boxes on because it's structural able to hold it. And I thought it would have give some support that that new coop since as you said it doesn't have alot of structural support. Neither my husband or I are great builders, as much as I want to be, I seem to fail a majority of the time, lol! Our chickens free roam all day, and are only in during the night. But when we go away they are stuck in the coop so they need something bigger. Hopefully how I explained my vision makes sense

 

[RoyalChick]

We considered that as well. But, we have way too many predators in our area including Black Bears. So, we didn't think the 1/2" hardware cloth would be enough. I think the tallest we found was about 4'. That wouldn't cut it.

Hopefully, some of the more experienced members will chime in.

Best of luck!

@Tami2 yiu know with the 4’ hatdware clothe you hang it vertically like wallpaper.
You can deal with the seams by sewing them together with wire or using big rings. Better still have a wood framing piece atvthe 4’ point so you can attach both pieces to something solid.

 

[Tami2]

@Tami2 yiu know with the 4’ hatdware clothe you hang it vertically like wallpaper.
You can deal with the seams by sewing them together with wire or using big rings. Better still have a wood framing piece atvthe 4’ point so you can attach both pieces to something solid.

Yes, thank you. I have seen that done.
But, hubby preferred the electric fence & I agreed it would provide more protection.

Thank you!