Coon proofing a run and coop - what're your tricks

[Rouen]

I'm getting ready to move, the location I am moving to has a very active raccoon population and a trash eating bear. I know the bear is always going to be a possible risk, but I can protect against the coons.
Their run will be 8x8 with a raise coop thats 8x4, I only have 2 birds but this gives me room to add. The design I am looking at is similar to this https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=50691
Under the coop I'm going to have a very secure "porch." It will have a sand covered solid wood floor and 1/2 or 1/4 inch hardware cloth. The porch will be used when no one is home so they will be safe but have room to move around.
So give me all your coon deterant/prevention tricks with coop building.

 

[ReikiStar]

Electric hot wire: 3 strands at least. Around the very bottom to prevent digging. Around the middle in case they get sneaky and decide to jump over the bottom wire and hang on to the side and around the top in case they try to get in from there.

Use a solar charger if you don't have electricity at the site.

 

[cupman]

Raccoons are a lot stronger than I ever gave them credit for. I only have a couple tips for you

1) Don't use any staples to attach hardware cloth or chicken wire to your structure. I made that mistake, even went overboard with staples and those raccoons still pried them out, I think they may have even worked together. After I lost one of my chickens I went around the structure with these old roofing nails, they had about a 1 sq inch head on them and they are ribbed nails, I even have a very hard time yanking them out. Coon has no chance.

2) Buy or make a live animal trap. I think you can get a decent sized coon trap for around 40 dollars, I purchased one off of amazon.com and I'm happy with it, I think I paid 41 dollars and it was free shipping. If you start shooting raccoons you catch you will be surprised how scarce they become, I killed three raccoons in the course of a week and I haven't seen another coon since(2-3 weeks ago)

 

[BlueBetween]

we sandwiched our hardwire between the boards - a 2x4 and hardwire sandwich. I feel pretty good about it.

 

[Jay-Mar28]

I have a Beagle Bluetick cross dog, a Jack Russel and a chiuaua. The Beagle cross is always out and marks everything around the pen and what not. The last two weeks a friend of mine borrowed him to meet his female dogs lol. In that time frame ive seen a coyote and yesterday a racoon came to the edge of or woods. Luckily the chiuaua spotted him and barked enough to get the jack russels attention who chased it up a tree. My .22 did the rest lol. Having a few good dogs around helps. Going after the birds might be a little more risky to a racoon with the dog smells around.

 

[MarinMama]

Quote:
x2

we did the same. it makes it so there are no "weak" spots.

hardware cloth under the run as well unless you do a hardware cloth "apron".

 

[gale65]

Quote:
Do you mean staple gun type staples or those kind that are like a double ended nail bent in a u that are about 1/4" thick and you have to hammer in? DH used the 2nd kind on our run.

eta: he calls them 'steeples' even though they say they are 'staples'.

 

[pawsplus]

Quote:
LOL--my handyman does that too--makes me NUTS!! LOL!

 

[R_Chickens]

I used a large number of 5/8" staples (I think) in an air nailer- not a hand staple gun. They are either 16 or 18 gauge into 5/8" plywood and 2x4's and 2x6's

The hardware cloth I used isn't the thin stuff, it's really heavy welded wire 1" x 1/2" from Tractor Supply.

I don't see how they would get through that ???

A bear, yes, but not much else, I think... Am I wrong?

- JC

 

[Gingerlilypad]

On one of the coop designs, someone used sheets of tin around the bottom of their pen. It is supposed to keep coons out as well as prevent rain from splashing into the pen. It seems like a good idea.
My chicken pen is an old dog pen. I have 2X4 welded wire across the top and the floor, which is covered with leaves and hay. I am wondering if I can use cable ties to attach tin around the bottom on the inside of the pen, or if I should use some type of wire. If so, what gage wire? Would it be better to use wire poultry netting?
Since I live in a very wooded rural area, we have a LOT of raccoons. Thus far my dogs have kept them run off. Right now my chicks are in a cage inside the pen, but I want to turn them loose in the pen within a week, and know that coons will reach through wire to get them.

Forgot to mention, the dog pen is under a pole shed, so lots of shade and protection from the rain.