Can raccoons chew through polycarbonate panels?

[aart]

I'm usually at home and can hear if there's a commotion outside.

This is key, IMO.
If I still worked full time away from home, I'd have gone differently for run mesh, actually probably wouldn't have chickens.

 

[K0k0shka]

This is key, IMO.
If I still worked full time away from home, I'd have gone differently for run mesh, actually probably wouldn't have chickens.

I work full time, 3 days out of the home and 2 days at home. But even on my days home I can only go out periodically to run small errands, I can't keep real watch or react quickly if I see something but I'm on a conference call at the moment. I also need the pop door open permanently, because in the winter I come home way after dark and can't close the pop door before the night critters come out. The raccoons don't even wait for the dark anymore, I see them out there in the afternoon, too. I know my situation isn't ideal, but it's either I make do with that and give my kids the experience of chickens, or I wait until I retire and nobody gets to enjoy any animals until then... So there's gonna be some compromises, but I think the end goal is worth it.

 

[K0k0shka]

the tree is taller than a 3-story house

Oh wow was this estimate WAY off! I looked at the tree this morning after the sun came up, and it's more like a 7+ story house, not 3. That is one big-ass tree. I hope it doesn't kill my chickens one day. But I love big trees so for its own sake, I hope it has many more healthy years left!

 

[Mimi13]

In your case if you have kamikaze nuts invading, you can opt for fiberglass panels. They are MUCH TOUGHER, do let light thru, but not available in CLEAR.

This is good info and also a great nut analogy. They are freaking kamikazes. The past several weeks these falling nuts have kept all my chickens in their toes. Think “Chicken Little - The Sky Is Falling.” I have four of these trees in my upper back yard and they are nothing but trouble for me. I have fallen more times than I care to remember after stepping on one.

I now have tin on that run and those kamikaze nuts sound like bullets hitting the tin. Oh well.

That is one big-ass tree. I hope it doesn't kill my chickens one day. But I love big trees so for its own sake, I hope it has many more healthy years left!

I feel your apprehension. I have an oak tree behind my big chicken house. It is much larger, with a larger canopy, than the hickory trees and its limbs are even more massive. I pray they never fall and inflict damage to my structures or my birds or me.

 

[K0k0shka]

I now have tin on that run and those kamikaze nuts sound like bullets hitting the tin.

One of our local zoos has a large walk-in chicken coop for guests to go into and look at the chickens, and it has a tin roof and an oak tree above it. That was the first time I experienced the gunshot effect... Startled the crap out of me! And those were tiny little acorns... I can only imagine what a hickory cannonball must sound like!

 

[K0k0shka]

That's a beautiful setup! Glad to hear the panels are holding up.

 

[Mimi13]

This is key, IMO.
If I still worked full time away from home, I'd have gone differently for run mesh, actually probably wouldn't have chickens.

I agree. It wasn’t until I quit working that I began thinking about keeping chickens. I wish I had had them back when my boys were small, but I don’t think I’d have received as much joy from them as I do now.

 

[K0k0shka]

Just use the screws made for corrugated or metal roofing. They have a special name but I can’t remember it. The washer and gasket are part of the screw. You put them in with a nut driver—they have a hex head—impact driver works best but a regular drill also works.

I know what you're talking about. I almost got a bunch of those when I thought I was gonna do a corrugated metal roof for the coop, but then did shingles instead. But in the process of researching roofs I read about those screws, so now I know what to get for the poly panels.

 

[K0k0shka]

I agree. It wasn’t until I quit working that I began thinking about keeping chickens. I wish I had had them back when my boys were small, but I don’t think I’d have received as much joy from them as I do now.

That's what I was thinking initially, too. Wait until I retire and then get chickens. But watching neighbors with kids having so much fun with their chickens gave me hope that it could be done. I had a wonderful childhood with lots of animals, including chickens and other farm animals, and am a bit sad that my kids won't have that, so I want to at least give them what I can, now when they'll enjoy it and benefit from it more.

 

[Mimi13]

That's what I was thinking initially, too. Wait until I retire and then get chickens. But watching neighbors with kids having so much fun with their chickens gave me hope that it could be done. I had a wonderful childhood with lots of animals, including chickens and other farm animals, and am a bit sad that my kids won't have that, so I want to at least give them what I can, now when they'll enjoy it and benefit from it more.

Yes, I agree that growing up with farm animals is beneficial to children in so many ways. Not only does the fun of having them teach them, but they also learn meaningful lessons when things don’t always go perfectly and death happens. After all, death is a part of life and with proper support and explanation can provide great lessons.