Coop Secure?

[cmom]

A fox and coyote at the chick/grow-out coop.

 

[GC-Raptor]

2 Raccoons 1 on roof 1 below

Fox

Bobcat

Fox and Bobcat also hunt during the day. These were on my property. I lost a hen to a Bobcat mid-afternoon and a hen to a Fox at sunset, and a 10 month old Pullet to a Coopers Hawk at sunset, all were free ranging.

My coops are secure. GC

 

[Anita Scott]

I bought solar motion lights for each coop. I haven’t had any problems except for neighbors dogs and cats. The motion lights keep the wild critters away. I had a few copperheads last year and put mothballs around my coops and never saw another snake. My turkeys are my snake sighters. They always alarm me when a snake is anywhere in my yard.
I don’t put babies in the coops until they are about 6 weeks old, unless it is snake proof. I lost 4 to a black snake a couple of years ago.

 

[Shezadandy]

We recently bought a house with an acre and a half and decided we wanted to own chickens. Our back yard is mostly wooded, and the front is grass - I figured I’d keep the hens in the coop and run during the day, and let them free range when I’m with them. During the night they’d be locked in the coop.

We bought the one in the attached pics — what else do I need to do to keep it safe from predators? The coop is off the ground and has a wood floor. When they’re in the run, I will be able to see it from my office window, but still - I don’t want to lose any. Thanks!

1/2" hardware cloth is something of the gold standard. If your chickens can stick their heads through the fence, predators can reach in and decapitate them - and predators are extremely smart and have all the time in the world, day and night, to make a meal of our feathered friends.

Does the coop have an automatic door that closes it to the run at night? Are the windows covered with hardware cloth that is securely fastened between frames?

 

[Chickenwalls]

In read on different site using string smelling substances mixed with water work well if you put in the ground by spraying it the smell is supposed either confuse and or over power the senses to predators. It said use stuff like cayenne and strong hot sauce.

 

[cmom]

I bought solar motion lights for each coop. I haven’t had any problems except for neighbors dogs and cats. The motion lights keep the wild critters away. I had a few copperheads last year and put mothballs around my coops and never saw another snake. My turkeys are my snake sighters. They always alarm me when a snake is anywhere in my yard.
I don’t put babies in the coops until they are about 6 weeks old, unless it is snake proof. I lost 4 to a black snake a couple of years ago.

Years ago I tried motion light but the predators got used to them going on. The electric wires have worked.

 

[Disheygirl]

1/2" hardware cloth is something of the gold standard. If your chickens can stick their heads through the fence, predators can reach in and decapitate them - and predators are extremely smart and have all the time in the world, day and night, to make a meal of our feathered friends.

Does the coop have an automatic door that closes it to the run at night? Are the windows covered with hardware cloth that is securely fastened between frames?

I have the hardware cloth on my list to buy - the chicks are still in a playpen in my office so I have time to make updates to their coop before they live out there.

I was planning on locking them inside each night and letting them out in the morning...the coop is a few steps away from our back door, so not a big deal to do each day.

Good idea of putting cloth in the window frame - I’ll do that and run it up the sides where the metal bars are so that their heads (and bodies) are safe. How does the electric wire work? I’ve seen nets and lines both...don’t want to zap my chickens by putting a hot wire near metal bars of the run. Do you just create a perimeter around the coop in general, or do the wires need to be almost right against the coop and bars?

 

[Disheygirl]

2 Raccoons 1 on roof 1 below View attachment 2589717
Fox View attachment 2589720
Bobcat View attachment 2589722
Fox and Bobcat also hunt during the day. These were on my property. I lost a hen to a Bobcat mid-afternoon and a hen to a Fox at sunset, and a 10 month old Pullet to a Coopers Hawk at sunset, all were free ranging. View attachment 2589734View attachment 2589737
My coops are secure. GC

Holy cow - you have ALL sorts of chicken eaters!!! Maybe I need to hire armed guards to sit outside of this coop...insane how many animals out there try to eat chickens!!

 

[NatJ]

How does the electric wire work? I’ve seen nets and lines both...don’t want to zap my chickens by putting a hot wire near metal bars of the run. Do you just create a perimeter around the coop in general, or do the wires need to be almost right against the coop and bars?

It's common to put the electric wires slightly outside the coop & run, so they zap any predator that tries to dig or climb or tear through the pen.

You can get things like this:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/american-farmworks-yellow-slant-nail-insulators-1213232

It's a yellow plastic piece that nails to your coop or fenceposts, and holds the electric wire a few inches away from the surface. That puts it safely out of reach of the chickens (who are inside).

 

[Disheygirl]

might want to mesh wire that run too. You'd be surprised how animals can reach through and kill chickens

I bought hardware cloth and cut it to fit the run - dumb question, but can I attach it to the run bars with zip ties or is there something better? Thanks!!