Dog Kennel wire roofing and preditor proofing questions

[patandchickens]

2x2' pavers weigh a heck of a lot more, I would guesstimate 50 lbs (I was lugging some of them around last weekend in fact, ow

) THEY are reasonably safe.

Smaller pavers though, I would not trust. "Can a raccoon lift 5-10 lbs?" Without even breaking a sweat. Raccoons and dogs are EXTREMELY strong, especially when it comes to prying at things (which is what they'd do with pavers - worry at the edge until they can pry it up ajar and dig under your fence.

Browse some threads in the Predators and Pests section of BYC for anecdotal evidence of raccoon strength, or try catching an irritated coon in a live-trap sometime and see firsthand

Pat

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Anyone care to estimate the reach of a racoon?

LOL sounds like "what is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?" from Monty Python and the Holy Grail

I would say 12" is a reasonable safe distance to plan for -- tho some of the pet raccoon owners out there can probably tell you more precisely. It will depend on the size of the opening it's reaching through of course.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

Yep my girls could reach about a solid foot, the largest was most likely farther. These were hand tame pets too so well fed, no wintering, no stress. HOWEVER they are some large coons in the wild too so beware for sure. it you use 1x1 or 1x1.5 hardware cloth they wont have a reach. Chicken wire they will dig, tug, pull and chew at to get a bigger hole. As far as strength, they could move their den box around and it was made from 2x4's and plywood.​

 

[Alley]

Okay, so racoon have super strength and stretch armstrong arms! I will go at this with that in mind! LOL

I have 2' of hardward cloth up the sides of the kennel, is that going to be high enough? I am worried because I'm going on a cruise for Halloween and they will be left with a house sitter that knows nothing about chickens!

 

[Amethyste]

We ahve a 10 x 10 kennel that we use as a run. Its covered with deer netting at the top, and around the bottom we have hardwre cloth and a plywood dirt catcher around the inside so they dont kick all their run stuff outside the kennel.

Now, I havent had any issues but now am starting to panic... the hardware wire is secured inside the run as is the wood dirt-catcher so the coons cannot pull it off thru the slats in the kennel. Can they climb the kennel sides? I know they could get on the roof of the coop before, but they cant now since the tree has been trimmed back.

We have the run itself pretty non-coonable on the sides where we know there were issues before and took care of them, so I am not worried bout that. I am concerned about the top of the run,

Should I be? Never had any issues with predators managing to get in thru the top... the times it happened in past before we looked at it was at the sides down low.

 

[Alley]

Yes, coons can climb chain link. I saw them scale a 6 foot chain link fence with ease. I would be worried, that's why I'm worried about what kind of wire I use.

I've decided to criss cross the wire on the top. Just in case...

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

coons climb, dig, chew, and other wise destroy anything they can and are smart! They will test, re test and test again until the figure it out if it shows any weakness.

If they can't make anything move, or get access (even a tiny bit) they will give as they are SMART and want easy food, not work for it for days and still no meal food.

deer netting would worry me. Yes they will climb anything and everything. Mine hung upside down from the top of their dog kennel (chain link fence)

think link a 2 year old (inquisitive mind) with the strength of a pitbull

then you will A-OK.

Nothing I hsare about them is to scare you, just to inform since I have lived with them. Up until they were 1 and half years old they lived in the house with dogs and cats and used a litter box and slept in a dog crate that had hammocks hanging in it. They loved baths and everyone in the house, including my Cockatoo. As they turn 1.4yrs 2 of the 3 got tudes, not bad, but enough to be moved to their play yard full time. The last missed them so she moved out too, but still came in for showers and snacks. She is now used for educational talks, and they point out her unique coloring, and demo her strength. The other two are apart of a nature walk petting zoo area and are very spoiled. I continue to send them treats 4 times a year and have a fund set up to pay half of the care costs now with their new owners. (this is because they could not move with us)

 

[allison finch]

I used a 4' dog pen for a run off one side of my coop. Since I only needed three panels (squared panels, not rounded) I used the third to make a rigid roof. Initially, it had chicken wire sides on the roof. Knowing I had coons in the area, I later put chain link over the chicken wire. All the chain link is now lined with chicken wire. That keeps the chickens from putting their heads through where they could get grabbed by coons. It also keeps the dang squirrels out. They developed a liking for chicken pellets.

 

[Alley]

Did you put your hardware wire on the outside of the chain link or the inside?

 

[havi]

Someone posted this a while back about how they did their kennel. I think its a neat idea. When I finally get mine up this is what I will be doign as well. But I think Im going to use either chicken wire or hard cloth wire.


There are her photos..

 

[pattypenny]

i use dog kennels for chicken pens and have covered the top with chicken wire. I don't have racoon problems but I think if you do you need to make sure that the wire is well tied down because the coons are determined. all I have to worry about is the neibhbors cats and hawks and the wire works well for me.
my chickens are in the chicken house at night and if you have one and the door is shut you should be safe from racoons because they are a night animal.