Can raccoons chew through polycarbonate panels?

[K0k0shka]

Right!
Would be easier to toss a piece of mesh there before adding poly panels...
...then you don't have to worry about it later.

Easy, maybe, but expensive. I have a lot of area to cover and this mesh is adding up... I guess that’s what I get for wanting a large run. But bigger is always better, and I do have the space...

 

[aart]

Easy, maybe, but expensive. I have a lot of area to cover and this mesh is adding up... I guess that’s what I get for wanting a large run. But bigger is always better, and I do have the space...

You don't need to use HC...14ga 2x4 welded wire would keep coons out.
How big will your run be....have you started the build yet??

 

[K0k0shka]

You don't need to use HC...14ga 2x4 welded wire would keep coons out.
How big will your run be....have you started the build yet??

Right, it's not as expensive as the denser mesh, but it's still another expense.
I'm still in the planning stages and collecting ideas. My space is an irregular shape so I need to figure out how to handle that in terms of the frame, the pitch, etc. The longest side in the back is 21 feet long, then the right side is 11 feet, then the front side is 11 feet as well, then there's a diagonal wall on the left that connects to a 4-foot-wide "tunnel" section that connects the coop to the larger part of the run. This is all so I can go around a tree that's in the way. All in all it's going to be about 170 square feet. I want to cover most of it permanently on top with poly panels, but leave the front part open during the non-winter months, to allow water in for the shrub and to get some cold composting going on the ground.

The reality of this is turning out much more expensive than what I'd planned (surprise!) Initially I wanted to cover the walls of the run with the 2"x2" heavy iron mesh panels I got from a neighbor for free. She kept chickens for 16 years, pop door open permanently, and somehow never had predators kill anything, so I thought those panels were enough. That plus poly only on most of the roof. Now though, the overwhelming advice on this forum is that those panels will not be enough, so I have to cover everything with dense HC anyway, and put some kind of mesh under the poly panels as well, which is suddenly jacking up my expenses quite a bit. So I don't know what to do

 

[aart]

Yeah, chickens aren't cheep..and wading thru the options and opinions is exhausting.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Now though, the overwhelming advice on this forum is that those panels will not be enough, so I have to cover everything with dense HC anyway, and put some kind of mesh under the poly panels as well, which is suddenly jacking up my expenses quite a bit. So I don't know what to do

Sometimes all you can do is the best you can - if money is an issue (as it often is) sometimes you just have to expand or add improvements over time. If I were to redo my run it'd have a roof on it at the very least and have taller walls and overall make it a lot more secure, but sometimes you have to work with what you've got. I know neither aart nor I have "Fort Knox" runs so there is some risk of loss involved.

 

[NHMountainMan]

Depending on where you live in boston area, you may need to ask around about the predators in the area. In the city - you're likely dealing with raccoon, skunk, mice and rats. If that's the case, the polycarbonate alone should be fine. If you're further into the 'burbs and your starting to deal with weasel, particularly bigger members like a fisher, (fishercat here in NH) - you should consider hardware cloth underneath. If you know the person that gave you the panels well enough to trust them, rather than off craigslist, they are probably a good source of local info. Perhaps some more info (not specific - but north shore, suburban development, etc, might have someone local that can jump in to the discussion with more specific advice.

 

[Mimi13]

I will add my two cents, but it’s regarding the roofing material. In 2016 when I built my first run, I used the clear polycarbonate panels from Home Depot. I loved that it kept the run dry and all the light it let in. Then came the cold months.

Now here’s my beef. The stuff becomes as brittle as thin glass and shatters at the drop of a hickory nut on the tree above my run. In a matter of a few weeks I had enough golf ball sized holes in my nice new roof <sob sob> that my run no longer stayed dry. I wound up having to put a tarp over the top to keep the rain out. So much for letting light in.

You live up north so I know you’ll have cold weather, but you may not have anything overhead that would fall and break the roof like I did. However, one last caution. You will need to use the nails with rubber washers in order to seal out the rain. Be very careful when hammering those into the roofing supports. One small “off target” hit of the hammer and you’ll have your first crack, if you’re lucky. If you aren’t lucky, you’ll have your first hole the size of a hammer head. Yep, been there, done that and I consider myself a fairly decent carpenter, but mistakes do happen.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

A coon would be able to chew through it, but I can't imagine one being able to get a bite on the smooth surface. It would be much easier along the edges.

 

[aart]

You will need to use the nails with rubber washers in order to seal out the rain. Be very careful when hammering those into the roofing supports. One small “off target” hit of the hammer and you’ll have your first crack, if you’re lucky.

Use screws!

 

[Mimi13]

Use screws!

Yes, of course, most smart people would have. For whatever reason, when we bought that roofing stuff my DH bought the box of nails they had displayed right underneath the panels. They were a PITA, to say the least.

When I started working on my big run (with tin on it) I purchased the
#10 x 1-1/2 in. Flange Hex Head Hex Drive Self-Piercing Screw with Neoprene Washer.
Best purchase ever. I’m smarter than he is.

BTW, I have used screws on every portion of my coops and runs except for that dang polycarbonate roofing.