Quote:
Sorry took so long, in detail, try not to rambel... Our coop is built onto our workshop, so the back wall is the wall of the workshop. Supports (4x4) are set up to hold the roof, and then the (2x4) are set up making the studs for the wall. Inside we have a coop with nesting boxes, a brooder box and another brooder box we rotate out the broody silkies. The coop is fenced in what I am guessing a 10 x 12 area, fenced to the top. Around the coop up to about four feet we have screwed in plastic sheets, of reminants of a sun room one of our freinds removed from his house. Makes a pretty good fortress. We also have one inch wire fencing that surrounds the enclosed portion of the coop as described. Until the recent predator, I am giving it too much credit I beleive more now then ever it was a dog or several, we had the plastic on everything up to four feet, wire atop allowing air flow, covered with the sheet plastic roofing, except the doors. We have two doors to the enclosed coop, one is access from the outside, the other is access to the run. You can not access the run without first going through the coop. The bottom of the coop we have actually dug into the hill/ground and imbedded 2 x 10. Then secured these to the studs finishing the frame.
That having been said, the wire at the doors was secured with industrial automatic fence staples/staple gun, and it was secured to the inside portion of the door. When as I described the fence was pulled back, it was pulled through the door frame, from the inside portion of the door out. The run is constructed from just metal fence poles, four footers, and one inch wire, the wire is secured to the poles by a notch in the poles, and the notch was bent, standard coop poles. I am sure they have a specific name, but I am not sure what it is. This portion of the fence was also pulled off the poles and outwards. As if something walked up and just pulled the wire towards itself. The portion of the door damaged was two inches up to three feet maybe, and when I walked out to test it myself, with a moderate amount of force and one hand I pulled back and out on it and popped staples. So with that I am saying dogs, and bad chicken mommy.
Repairs inculde, plastic roofing was placed all the way to the top on all sides except the top of the doors which are about four foot high, fencing secured this time with hammered large heavy duty staples. The run I am going to make the sides taller and frame it in. Of the chickens lost, all but one had a clipped wing. This makes me feel even more utterly horrible. I have decided to fully frame in the run and place even a roof of wire, they cant get out, and nothing else can get in. On the other hand, this could have very well could have been my Alaskan Malamute too. I put her on a run outside since this happened, and I have had not one visitor to the chicken coop. But I did find a dead robin with my dog, she was very proud of it, carried it around for a while. I have never seen her kill a bird but apparently she does. So another fence to build I guess. I cant stand the though of loosing my dog, she is as much a part of the family as the chickens. I just have to be dillagent to keep her away from them as whether or not she made the attack or it was another, she does kill birds obviously. That having been said. Repairs are made FINALLY, today my kids and I got out in the coop and made some awesome changes. I have found some brody hens and they are in the coop, adjusting of course, non are setting on eggs right now. I put some ping pong balls in there to see if they would start laying where they were maybe sit, but no luck. Any suggestions? Thanx for the help everyone, and any suggestions are welcomed!
