Chicken coop in maine

[Vtonero]

Hi everyone, last night I noticed a weasel
I know we have a few rats out and about in chicken yard going in and out for left over scratch. But last night was first time I saw a white weasel. I'm worried it will get inside coop to get my only 2 ladies. Do u guys recommend hardware cloth? And should I attach it to under coop and around sides? Thank u

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Hi everyone, last night I noticed a weasel
I know we have a few rats out and about in chicken yard going in and out for left over scratch. But last night was first time I saw a white weasel. I'm worried it will get inside coop to get my only 2 ladies. Do u guys recommend hardware cloth? And should I attach it to under coop and around sides? Thank u

Always, always 1/2 inch, 19-gauge hardware cloth! Up the walls and across the top, if your run doesn’t hard a roof. (Chicken wire is sorta ok for keeping chickens out of a flower bed, but any determined predator can get through in almost no time, so it’s not good for protecting your chickens.)

It’s best not to put it on the “floor”, even if buried, because chickens will dig down to it and their feet can be injured. Also, buried hardware cloth can rust out.

Instead, make a skirt of hwc that is attached to the outside base of the run on all sides and then extends outwards three feet from the run. Peg down the ends with landscape staples.

 

[Vtonero]

Always, always 1/2 inch, 19-gauge hardware cloth! Up the walls and across the top, if your run doesn’t hard a roof. (Chicken wire is sorta ok for keeping chickens out of a flower bed, but any determined predator can get through in almost no time, so it’s not good for protecting your chickens.)

It’s best not to put it on the “floor”, even if buried, because chickens will dig down to it and their feet can be injured. Also, buried hardware cloth can rust out.

Instead, make a skirt of hwc that is attached to the outside base of the run on all sides and then extends outwards three feet from the run. Peg down the ends with landscape staples.

Mother of chaos, thank you for the response and the great information. I appreciate all the help and guidance.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yes, hardware cloth. No, don't bury - soil chemistry can eat hardware cloth, particularly if you have clay soils. Hen house flooring chemistry can also eat hardware cloth (deep litter method, potentially deep bedding method [slower]). Also, makes things harder to clean.

Skirting around the outside is the best solution if you didn't build on a deep footer.

"Chicken wire" keeps chickens out of things. It keeps essentially nothing from getting to chickens if/when desired.

If you have larger predators, you will want thicker/smaller gauge hardware cloth and generally narrower openings overall.

TL;DR? "What @Mother of Chaos said".