Can raccoons/other predators climb?

[Grammahen]

I have welded wire surrounding our run and the outskirts to prevent diggers, and the top it covered with deer netting to keep the hawks away. I close my coop up at night but yesterday afternoon we left and came home after 9:00 pm. I kept thinking what if something climbed up and chewed through the netting. I know raccoons can climb up trees, but will they climb up my run? Is there really a risk or am I over doing it? Should I worry? What does everyone else do?

 

[briana1975]

They are good climbers.

 

[Boondachs]

yes they sure can, you just built them a ladder.

 

[okiron]

Better to overdo it than to find out you underdid it but yup, they can climb.

 

[StrawberryHouseMouse]

I had a 6ft tall dog lot that I used for my egg hens for a while. One night I heard some fussing and went outside with a flash light. Shined it up at the pen and sure enough a opossom froze in my flash light's beam. It was on top of the cage, making its way inside. I had a tarp over my cage. And it was chewing that tarp loose so that it could have a midnight snack. Its safe to say I disposed of that sneaky pest. But as to answer your question. Yes they can and they will.

 

[chicken farmer meigs]

Raccoons and skunks are very good at climbing. I would use the same wire for the lid as you used on the sides.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Oh, yeah. Climbers indeed.
Not only climbers but raccoons can get through very small openings. We caught a raccoon last night that had been getting into one of our many chicken coops and if this is the same predator, she was getting through a small hole of about 2X2 inches at the top of the fence where it joins the roof of the coop. It has been a week since the creature got in and killed any more since we went back with wire and closed up any and every hole except for the fencing. (We have open air coops.)

 

[Grammahen]

Thanks for all the replys. Looks like I have yet another coop project. OH Honey....