fool proof way to keep predators at bay.

[osagebill88]

I just keep catching opossum after opossum with the occasional raccoon sprinkled in for good measure in the live trap. I know my self well enough to know I will one day again forget to close the small chicken door which leads from the coop to the run and lose my birds again....so I moved my 5 year old 180 pound lab Darth Marley into the chicken run. The coop is large enough he sleeps in the corner and never bothers the birds. He was raised around chickens. I used to just do this in the winter but I am making it permanent now. The only pain is getting his logs out before the chickens attempt to see if its something good to eat....Works great and I can leave the coop door open 24-7 now. the run is large enough he has room to roam.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Not a bad idea.

Our neighbors, after losing two gardens to deer, moved their hunting pointer's dog house and tether to one end of the garden.

For our chicken run, we have forested property and our chicken run is under a dense hemlock and cedar so hawks and owls can't get at it.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

I wonder if anyone has ever built a dog run around their whole coop. Like a mote with alligators protecting a castle... but with a dog.

 

[write2caroline]

My next door neighbor's dog run goes around his coop. But he still has problems from time to time. What about electric fencing or dusting with cayenne pepper around the outside of the coop?
Cal
Jax FL

 

[cmom]

We had a dog but the dog died. When the Daisy was alive she had the run of our property so I didn't worry about critter as she would chase them off. Now that she is gone I have an electric fence around my coop, run and the birds yard. I also leave their door open 24/7. I know critters have touched the wire as I have heard their screams when they have come in contact with the wire.

 

[osagebill88]

He loves it in there and I can remember him breaking lose and heading for the chicken pen. He already knows the sound our Roo makes when he has found something to eat and Marley has to check it out. The new little Americaunas I got from bigokie are sleeping on him right now.

 

[Eggs4Sale]

Quote:
I wanted to do this with our property, and have that sectioned off into 4 sections, so there would always be 1 dog along each side. If only a roll of chain-link will fall out of the sky, I'll be set...

 

[Raymond1950]

I use the "Dog Method" here; two Labs, 1 Redbone, and three Blueticks. I have still lost chickens, turkeys, ducks, and guineas. It is amazing how resourceful coyote, 'coon, and hawks can be. Also, a large snake can slip through unnoticed and get both eggs and chicks!
Friends with poultry and rabbits have recently experienced losses they know are from illegal alien neighbors! The deputies put up a camera, but failed to load the film!
I always lock the hen house at night, now, and keep a light equipped shotgun handy.