Expert Advice Needed On Run & Predators: Please Clear This Up!

[elmo]

The door to the run can be a weak spot, but there are ways to deal with that. I build a four sided wood door frame for the run door to fit closely into, with the frame on the inside so pushing on the door gets nowhere. This means I have to step up as I enter the run, but that's not a real problem. The apron that goes around the whole perimeter of the run goes in front of the door, too. Then I have two latches to the door, top and bottom.

 

[drumstick diva]

Elmo, boy you are good - you think of everything!

 

[Dogfish]

Build a secure coop and run, and then trap and kill. Take care of the situation on both ends. Lots of excellent suggestions on security here. Remember, security isn't a line or just a fence, it is layer, upon layer, upon layer.

 

[gettinaclue]

Quote:
Pat is completely correct. There are A LOT of 'coon around here and there are at least 5 people that I know of that successfully keep chickens.

Don't let them tell you no. Just build well.

 

[95yj]

i live in northern ma. just south of nashua, but still in a woodsy area with lots of furry things that like to eat feathery things. People around me are always having trouble with predators, i havent had too many, you just gotta build the coop right. As for shooting/trapping them, i'm not a bleeding heart in the least and if you see one go for it, but its just impractical, theres always gonna be more to take the dead one's place. The main weak points on a coop are (in my experience): windows, doors, weak joints and any wood thats rotten. Doors are easy to make solid, double latch them top and bottom and build them out of solid wood, and most importantly make sure that they are a very tight fit, you'd be amazed what can fit through a 2 inch crack. If the floor in the coop isn't elevated wood line the ground with some kind of wire and then paving stones or cement, lots of options here. If it's elevated make sure it's really elevated enough to keep it dry. Recently a friend of mine lost some birds because their floor had rotted a little and the coon pulled the rotten wood out, and it was still solid enough to stand on. Windows are another weak point i'v heard from countless people that a coon pulled the wire off of the window. This is difficult to prevent, the easiest way is to double wire the window and use heavy duty staples, staple guns are NOT enough, also closing the windows with something like a shutter or even plexiglass can eliminate this problem. The run is always the weakest point, the only thing you can do here is dig the wire deep and wide, at least down 1 foot and out 1 foot, minimum, more is alot better. Also use good quality wire, i'v had great luck with 1 inch plasticoated hex, its pretty much chicken wire thats coated in a kind of plastic so it won't rust, some people say use hardware cloth, i say overkill. the only things that can get through the 1 inch hex are chipmunks, or go 1/2 inch hex. Another thing i have found useful is if its going to be a small coop encorporate it into the run, that is build the coop inside the run (its easier if you build the coop and then the run) that way there you have two levels of protection. it sounds like alot but its pretty basic stuff when you actually think about it. hope i helped. good luck.

 

[SB Austex]

Haven't moved my chicks outside yet, mostly because the coop and run aren't finished yet. I do know people nearby who have had raccoon massacres though. I'm considering a 'nite guard' light. The chicken lady at the largest organic farm in town says she hasn't had a critter kill since she installed them three years ago. They do cost around $30 each, but they're solar and don't require power. I'm seriously considering it (in addition, of course, to the closest thing I can realistically get to a Fort Knox of a coop/pen).

 

[Laurajean]

Yes, I'm considering that nite-guard product too (in addition to a super secure coop). Seems like there should be two "eyes", but if it works, great. I'd gladly pay 30 bucks if it really works.

Killing any predator is out of the question, as I am Buddhist. So I need deterrent and security methods. I'm getting some really good tips here. I appreciate all the input. My neighbor thinks I'm over thinking this, but if he loses a chicken, it's no big deal to him. He simply replaces it. He doesn't even know what breeds he owns. Me on the other hand, I have all Bantams, mostly Silkies and a Cochin and a Mille Fleur D' Uccle. These are precious pets to me, so I'd rather go over board now to ensure their safety and then I can relax later knowing that they are safe.

I would still love more input/advice/pics. I am taking a little out of what everyone has to say.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

If racoons are really troublesome getting into your trash, you can build a chain link enclosure for the trash with a chain link or similar top, and a gate that you can latch with a snap or padlock. Then you can plant pretty vines on it. Store your garbage in that enclosure, they will find it hard to get into it, especially if you bury the wire along the bottom.

I keep chickens and I have raccoons. I do not trap or otherwise interfere with the racoons. I do not allow the racoons acess to my garbage or livestock. First, the chickens are always locked up in a sturdy pen at night. My chickenhouse is a soilid shed that has been converted for the chickens to roost and lay in. I lock all of my doors with a snap lock or padlock up very high where it is hard for racoons to grab. The doors are very sturdy. I use corrugated metal for the roofing of my run, and the bottom of the run has buried hardware cloth and a 2x4 board along it. I keep my waterfowl in a converted dog kennel with a metal roof and chicken wire wrapped around the bottom 3 feet, so racoons can't reach through the larger links in the wire. Don't use chicken wire on your pens unless you are also using a heavy gauge fencing, like chain link.

 

[Dingo]

I'm in western ma surrounded by woods and a river. In the many years I've kept poultry I've only had one coon get my birds, he didn't kill any, and we didn't kill him. Coons are smart and know when something isn't worth the risk, the coon that tried to kill my duck met the bad end of a broom stick across his head. On the flip side, my neighbor who kept her birds in a 3' tall chicken wire "run" with no top and a open coop/leaning plywood board lost all her birds to a coon in one night. If you take the steps you can live in harmony. Even our neusciance bear didn't bother the ducks.

 

[Laurajean]

Quote:
Best quote all day. That's exactly how I feel! I want to set up a coop/run that is secure so I don't have to worry about predators. I am sure there is a way to co-exist! I just need a little help on building a run that's secure enough!