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

[patandchickens]

Quote:
The ideal situation would probably be to have the entire run covered in either 1/2" hardwarecloth, or 1x1" HEAVY GAUGE welded wire mesh with hardwarecloth added to the bottom 2-3' and to anywhere else a raccoon might be able to reach through at chicken level. (So if it is a low reach-in run, like only 3-4' high, you'd probably want the whole thing hardwarecloth; and use hardwarecloth on coop windows/vents near roosts). If budget is a concern, you won't be compromising security much at all by using livestock-quality heavy-gauge 2x4 mesh for most of the (walk-in height) run and apply hardwarecloth to the bottom 2-3'... baby raccoons can potentially get in thru 2x4 holes, but they are not usually a big concern.

You will want a top on the run.

Use good strong framing when building the run, especially making sure to support the TOP of the run strongly as raccoons can be quite heavy when they get up there. Then attach the hardwarecloth or wire mesh very securely, not just staplegunning.

A good dig-proof apron is more a dog-and-coyote-and-fox issue than a raccoon one, but anyhow, I would suggest a 2-4' apron (depending on what you've got in the way of foxes etc) of sturdy mesh, strongly attached to the base of the run fence, and well pinned down especially at the edge.

And then, very good locks/latches, remembering that raccoons can open most things (at least occasionally) so the safest thing is either a padlock (you can leave the key hanging right next to it, raccoons aren't THAT smart <g>) or some mechanism that requires you to manually operate two WIDELY SPACED thingies at the same moment.

Electric fencing can also be helpful but IMO should really be regarded as the "cherry on top" rather than as a crucial part of predatorproofing, because ALL electric fencing fails SOMETIMES for various reasons and predators can be pretty quick to notice when it's dead.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Laurajean]

Wow, Pat: Thank you for such a thorough and informative post! That's a huge help. Very thoughtful of you to take the time to type all that out for me.

 

[Dingo]

along with what pat said, I'm going to recommend locking the birds up tight at night, and not to leave food out. feed alone can bring in unwanted critters and my birds have always done fine on 2 feedings per day plus whatever they could forage.

 

[YolandaT]

I love this post! I've gotten so many good ideas! I even sneeked a peek at work today to read more of it.

I have been very stressed out about the racoon issue as well, I'm urban and I see them running into street gutters all the time. BIG ones. I am also worried about rats because they had already chewed a hole into the old shed we have converted into our coop. That hole has been very well mended but it got me nervous about things getting my chickens while I'm sleeping. I need to be able to sleep and not worried about my chickens every night!

Thanks to this post, I will be making some upgrades. I had stapled 1/2" hardware cloth really good around all the windows we cut out, but because they go down to about 1' above ground, tomorrow I'm going to get some wood that I can screw on top of the sides of it to make it push-through proof. I also like the idea of putting a barrier right behind the door, this will also prevent escape attempts and I had a scrap piece that fit perfectly and will work great for protection and my daily water changes.

Also, I had never thought about the food itself attracting predators! Especially rats, I'm sure. Duh!

My girls will move into their coop in just about a week, and I'm so glad I read all this before I unleashed them into the wild backyard world. I have the feeling this post may have saved many a cluckers life. Thanks!

 

[SeaHen]

My preference with varmints is to outwit them rather than kill or trap them. As newbies we lost chickens and ducks to raccoons, a fox, a skunk, hawks and even our own dog. I was ready to shoot all of them, but the reality was that it was my responsibility to ensure my animals' safety. Once I took the precautions I should have taken in the first place we no longer had a predator problem.