building a raccoon proof run

Farmerbetsy

Songster
14 Years
Oct 13, 2007
68
33
116
We are going to embark on building a new coop and raccoon proof run. Borrowing the neighbor's dog every night seems impractical, and bringing the chickens into the basement every night seems smelly. Since we have hawks, bald eagles, raccoons, and rats the size of poodles in our neighborhood, we need something as secure as we can get it.

Our chicken run has been covered in bird netting for the past two years, allowing the raccoons free range to tasty chicken and duck snacks.

How does one build a run to keep out raccoons?

Our challenge has been getting out to the coop just at dusk to get the girls in. we're not always at home. Is there some mechanism to shut the door automatically after the last girl goes home to roost?

Tired of the bloody Raccoons,
Farmer Betsy
 
Hi Farmer Betsy!

Skip and I built our run out of cattle panels covered with chicken wire and hardware cloth and it has proven to be completely predator proof, so far.
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Our land lady has a farm behind us and is always losing chickens to coons as her pens aren't built as sturdy.

Hope this is some help!

Dawn
 
what dawn and i have realized is that our runs are so pred proof and patrolled by our awsome aussie at weird hours that the land ladies pens are far easier pickings. so build it right or hope for a neighbor that's easier pickings.....
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cheers

doc
 
Cover the top with welded wire fence. You may need to put in some posts in the middle to support the wire depending on how wide it is. I have seen metal T posts used, or you can go all out sink a few wooden ones.

I sympathize. I also an usually not home at dark to lock them up, but I just have to tromp out whenever I do get home and close them in. We have a completely enclosed run, and have no trouble with raccoons with 2 by 4 welded wire. I know for a fact there is a big raccoon family living in an abandoned shed in the field next to us. The hens put themselves into their coop at night so there is no worries of coons grabbing them through the fence.

We do have a problem with mink, who can get through the sides of the run which is the 2 by 4 welded wire, so I am having to lock them up for the evenings in the coop until I can get the run covered with something even small. It totally bums me out to have to lock them up and it is seriously inconvenient, so once it thaws out I will be working on making the run even more secure.
 

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