JuniorTheHen
In the Brooder
Being a chicken keeper, things can get difficult when predators are around. Recently, there has been a fox problem and is an ongoing worry for any owner of chickens. There are several ways to protect your chickens, but here are the most effective ways to ensure your safety over predators e.g foxes.
1) Raise your coop above the ground - If you raise the hen's actual bedroom about 2 meters off the ground, it will provide safety from foxes at night. Foxes can jump as high as 61 centimeters and raccoons can jump as high as 155 centimeters. If you raise your coop over 2 meters off the ground, it will ensure that a predator will fail in its attempt of dinner. Do this and lock your chickens in the room that has been raised on a night and only let them out into the coop if you are present or if your coop has protection (fox-proof). This will also make sure that rats and snakes etc.. don't make themselves at home underneath the coop.
2) Welded Mesh - Chicken Wire is designed to keep chickens in, but it cannot keep the predators out. If you use chicken wire, the, for example, fox will tear through it like paper. Welded Mesh is a reinforced wire-fence that will keep the predators out. If you put the welded mesh down in the ground at least 1 ft-2 ft under, then the predators will not even think of digging that far down, due to the inability to locate the coop that far down. It also can withstand the predators slashes with its sharp claws, making it the perfect fencing-protection for your chickens.
3) Food - Making sure that you don't leave food on the floor can be vital to your hens protection. If you leave lots of food on the floor inside your coop, then foxes or raccoons etc.. will feel invited and will have a scent to follow. Avoid this by having the food inside coop on a hanging feeders. Place a box underneath the hanging feeders while you put some food into it to ensure that no food is scattered on the floor when absent from the coop, making it slightly harder for the fox or predator to locate it. (They may still be able to locate it)
4) Escaping NONO - Make sure that all holes or escape routes are closed off, so one of the hens doesn't escape. The hen may escape during the night and get caught by the fox, so doing this s vital. DO NOT LEAVE CHICKENS OUT AT NIGHT!
5) Having a guard - You may of considered having a guard dog to protect the chickens while your out (look it up on how to do it or hire a trainer) but for the people who don't want a dog, you should have a dummy. Buy a mannequin or make a scarecrow in order to make the illusion to the predator that there is someone there. However, predators rely on their sense of smell and hearing, so place a radio (not a "walkie-talkie" a sports radio or something) next to the dummy. That solves the hearing, but what about the scent? Well, you may choose to rub meat all over the dummy, but the predator will think it is livestock. This is only for the willing, but you may need to wee on the dummy every so often to give it a human scent. The predator will sense the dummy's presence and run off. You may also choose to record your voice and put it on loop next to the dummy over the radio to not only scare off predators, but to comfort chickens.
6) Fox trap - Try installing a fox trap to get the predator before it is too late. Buy a live fox trap and put some food in it and place it down AT NIGHT! If you place it down when the chickens are out, then chances are one of the chickens will get trapped in it. If you place it down at night and leave it until you let them out, it will give your coop's security an extra boost. IF you did catch the predator, take it to a vet or a fox expert, but somewhere away from your chickens. Don't let it out near your hens!
If there are any questions, then feel free to ask them!
1) Raise your coop above the ground - If you raise the hen's actual bedroom about 2 meters off the ground, it will provide safety from foxes at night. Foxes can jump as high as 61 centimeters and raccoons can jump as high as 155 centimeters. If you raise your coop over 2 meters off the ground, it will ensure that a predator will fail in its attempt of dinner. Do this and lock your chickens in the room that has been raised on a night and only let them out into the coop if you are present or if your coop has protection (fox-proof). This will also make sure that rats and snakes etc.. don't make themselves at home underneath the coop.
2) Welded Mesh - Chicken Wire is designed to keep chickens in, but it cannot keep the predators out. If you use chicken wire, the, for example, fox will tear through it like paper. Welded Mesh is a reinforced wire-fence that will keep the predators out. If you put the welded mesh down in the ground at least 1 ft-2 ft under, then the predators will not even think of digging that far down, due to the inability to locate the coop that far down. It also can withstand the predators slashes with its sharp claws, making it the perfect fencing-protection for your chickens.
3) Food - Making sure that you don't leave food on the floor can be vital to your hens protection. If you leave lots of food on the floor inside your coop, then foxes or raccoons etc.. will feel invited and will have a scent to follow. Avoid this by having the food inside coop on a hanging feeders. Place a box underneath the hanging feeders while you put some food into it to ensure that no food is scattered on the floor when absent from the coop, making it slightly harder for the fox or predator to locate it. (They may still be able to locate it)
4) Escaping NONO - Make sure that all holes or escape routes are closed off, so one of the hens doesn't escape. The hen may escape during the night and get caught by the fox, so doing this s vital. DO NOT LEAVE CHICKENS OUT AT NIGHT!
5) Having a guard - You may of considered having a guard dog to protect the chickens while your out (look it up on how to do it or hire a trainer) but for the people who don't want a dog, you should have a dummy. Buy a mannequin or make a scarecrow in order to make the illusion to the predator that there is someone there. However, predators rely on their sense of smell and hearing, so place a radio (not a "walkie-talkie" a sports radio or something) next to the dummy. That solves the hearing, but what about the scent? Well, you may choose to rub meat all over the dummy, but the predator will think it is livestock. This is only for the willing, but you may need to wee on the dummy every so often to give it a human scent. The predator will sense the dummy's presence and run off. You may also choose to record your voice and put it on loop next to the dummy over the radio to not only scare off predators, but to comfort chickens.
6) Fox trap - Try installing a fox trap to get the predator before it is too late. Buy a live fox trap and put some food in it and place it down AT NIGHT! If you place it down when the chickens are out, then chances are one of the chickens will get trapped in it. If you place it down at night and leave it until you let them out, it will give your coop's security an extra boost. IF you did catch the predator, take it to a vet or a fox expert, but somewhere away from your chickens. Don't let it out near your hens!
If there are any questions, then feel free to ask them!
At my age, I don't want to be climbing a ladder to access my chicken coop. I think a more reasonable option would be to have a chicken coop that a fox cannot get into once locked up for the night. At least, that was my approach.
