I've had chickens for a long time. For YEARS, I had no issues with predators. Then the last two years ago, the raccoon pressure got really bad. The losses were frustrating, and the flock dwindled to very small numbers.
Hope springs eternal, though, so we got 18 chicks and kept them in a small, secure coop. Today it was time to move them into the big coop, which meant reinforcing.
First off, the big coop is BIG...it's 20 feet by 8 feet and built on a hay trailer frame. A few older pics of it...
So, the bulk of the issues I had was with the ramp/door. We built a ramp and the door tilts up to open. I'd put cinder blocks in front of door but the raccoons still managed to get in.
We replaced some wood that was weaker on both the ramp and the door, then mounted some heavy metal brackets and fed a 2 x 4 through in front of the door.
The small piece of wood to the left of the door holds up the 2 x 4 when it's slide over to open the door. I also replaced the setup to hold the door open....new line, i-hook, etc.
Then took a scrap of plywood and put a bunch of screws through it. It now sits on the ramp, with a thin board on the ramp set up to hold it in place (and a bungee cord to keep it from being pushed off the side). This should keep any little feet off the ramp at night!
In addition, I've opened the gate up between the chicken area and the area where we keep our geese. The geese have been around over a year with zero issues, and I think having them patrolling the chicken area at night can't hurt any. We've also started throwing the dog waste just beyond the chicken run fence in the woods, hoping it helps keep any nighttime visitors at bay.
We'll see how it works out. The teenager chickens are in the big coop tonight and seem to be loving the extra space. Hopefully these improvements help keep everyone safe.
Hope springs eternal, though, so we got 18 chicks and kept them in a small, secure coop. Today it was time to move them into the big coop, which meant reinforcing.
First off, the big coop is BIG...it's 20 feet by 8 feet and built on a hay trailer frame. A few older pics of it...
So, the bulk of the issues I had was with the ramp/door. We built a ramp and the door tilts up to open. I'd put cinder blocks in front of door but the raccoons still managed to get in.
We replaced some wood that was weaker on both the ramp and the door, then mounted some heavy metal brackets and fed a 2 x 4 through in front of the door.
The small piece of wood to the left of the door holds up the 2 x 4 when it's slide over to open the door. I also replaced the setup to hold the door open....new line, i-hook, etc.
Then took a scrap of plywood and put a bunch of screws through it. It now sits on the ramp, with a thin board on the ramp set up to hold it in place (and a bungee cord to keep it from being pushed off the side). This should keep any little feet off the ramp at night!
In addition, I've opened the gate up between the chicken area and the area where we keep our geese. The geese have been around over a year with zero issues, and I think having them patrolling the chicken area at night can't hurt any. We've also started throwing the dog waste just beyond the chicken run fence in the woods, hoping it helps keep any nighttime visitors at bay.
We'll see how it works out. The teenager chickens are in the big coop tonight and seem to be loving the extra space. Hopefully these improvements help keep everyone safe.
