City Life - Predators?

[SurbFarmGirl]

Hi there .... new here .... and a new chicken mommy to 4 babies

We live in city limits and are converting our metal shed into a coop for our girls. We have cut windows and secured with chicken wire. We will be starting on a run soon. A friend that lives a block away has a large coop in their backyard covered in chicken wire and has never had a problem with predators. I've never so much as seen a squirrel in our yard. Birds yes. Fox, raccoons, etc., no. My husband thinks we'd be fine to cover the run with chicken wire and create an apron for digging just in case. Our yard is completely fenced in.

My question is ..... do you think chicken wire would suffice? I'm reading everyone's posts and everyone says "hardware cloth" .... but the predators are so different in those areas. I'd be devastated if anything happened to my girls ... but thinking the hardware cloth might be overkill?

Help?

 

[BonRae67]

To feel more secure, you could use like 2X4 welded wire fence along the bottom. It is cheaper than hardware cloth, but gives a little more security. Chicken wire is flimsy and even a stray cat can get through and get to the girls.

 

[SurbFarmGirl]

That's a good idea. I will look into that. Would I just place it over the chicken wire .... like double duty?

 

[BonRae67]

Yes Ma'am.

 

[bobbi-j]

You definitely don't want to trust just chicken wire. My runs are built with 2x4" welded wire with 1/2" hardware cloth around the bottom 2', and as an apron. You may not see raccoons, fox, mink, hawks or other predators, but now that you have chickens you will find out just what kind of wildlife you have around there. Everything likes chicken! Even stray dogs or neighbor dogs can be a threat. My son went to college in St. Paul, MN and saw a coyote crossing 4 lanes of highway one night.

 

[centrarchid]

In addition to concerns about fencing material, also see to it that birds roost up and away from the sides of coop to the predators visiting at night are less motivated to try and reach through or tear through coop wall. Another option is electrified wire to zap critters probing your coop.

 

[jtn42248]

Chicken wire is made to keep chickens in not to keep anything else out. Stretch out a bit of chicken wire on something and give it a good tug and you will see what level of protection it provides. Welded wire, fence fabric, that sort of thing will work much better and it is not that much more in costs. Especially when the lives of your flock depend on it.

As for city predator. Usually cats, dogs, rodents and sadly, people. However, depending on where you live, there could be other "wild" predators about. I live for a while in Los Angeles and they have, in my old neighborhood, landlocked wildlife like cayotes, skunks, racoons, deer etc. that are many generations old. The live in parks and vacant lots and empty buildings surrounded by freeways and apartment complexes. So, don't be too surprised what may pop in once you have chickens.

 

[centrarchid]

There is some variation in the types of chicken wire out there. Older stuff was fairly strong and some of the more recently made may be of similar strength. Variations in the chicken wire types needs to be researched. Some has had uses other than for poultry and may be engineered accordingly.

 

[speckledhen]

That's a good idea. I will look into that. Would I just place it over the chicken wire .... like double duty?

I do have some pens of 2x4 welded wire that have an overlay on the lower areas of chicken wire, some with hardware cloth, all have anti-dig aprons of 2x4 welded wire (can't dig down on my land well). Yes, it's fairly flimsy on its own but my purpose was to keep the birds from sticking their head out of the pen and getting themselves grabbed during the day. Before dusk and until full daylight, they are ALL locked inside predator proof coops and even if something got into the pen, it still isn't getting the birds unless it chews right through a pop door or a wall.

Window screens were all replaced with hardware cloth secured with screws back with washers and any ventilation opening has hardware cloth, some built right into the framing so a 2x4 stud is on top of it as well as being secured under the stud.

Cities have all sorts of predators. Coyotes are often seen in the city and they can scale almost any fence you have. Raccoons, opossums, domestic dogs, foxes, you name it, all inhabit city limits or do forays in for prey.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I do have some pens of 2x4 welded wire that have an overlay on the lower areas of chicken wire, some with hardware cloth, all have anti-dig aprons of 2x4 welded wire (can't dig down on my land well). Yes, it's fairly flimsy on its own but my purpose was to keep the birds from sticking their head out of the pen and getting themselves grabbed during the day. Before dusk and until full daylight, they are ALL locked inside predator proof coops and even if something got into the pen, it still isn't getting the birds unless it chews right through a pop door or a wall.

Window screens were all replaced with hardware cloth secured with screws back with washers and any ventilation opening has hardware cloth, some built right into the framing so a 2x4 stud is on top of it as well as being secured under the stud.

You may not see raccoons, fox, mink, hawks or other predators, but now that you have chickens you will find out just what kind of wildlife you have around there. Everything likes chicken! Even stray dogs or neighbor dogs can be a threat. My son went to college in St. Paul, MN and saw a coyote crossing 4 lanes of highway one night.

X 2 - the fact is that you have the same predator risks in your location as I do on my rural property, in some ways more as the wonders of suburban/urban neighbors (humans) provide certain things that make life easier on wildlife rather than harder (specifically concentrated readily available food sources - aka garbage) and the populations can be higher in a given area than in an area that same size in a rural setting.