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newchickenchick

newchickenchick

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I'm in NW Montana and have been 'planning' on adding chickens to our family for almost 12 years now. Well, I'm also in animal rescue (20+years). This was going to be THE year I made the leap and did it. Of course like any sane person, I was looking at coop plans but, I happened to get a call that 7 hens and one roo survived a Grizzly sow and her 2 cubs massacre of 30+ chickens and needed immediate
placement, so they are now in my indoor /outdoor dog kennel building. Nothing like putting the chickens before the coop, right ;) UGH ! I'm in tears trying to figure out the best plans for my property which has Mountain lions, bears, fox, racoons, bald eagles, great horned owls, and other birds of prey. I plan on having 20 or so hens and need to find the best links for coop/run plans that provide safety from all sides including top. We also get plenty of snow so I need a roof that won't collapse under snow, yet provides sun. I've been researching and reading for weeks now and I'm in tears trying to find the best places to look for proper plans. Oh forgot to mention my ground is full of rocks/boulders. I will be running hot wires but I'm also needing solar power for their electrical needs. I REFUSE to do things half way when it comes to my animals. Any suggestions on links suited to my very specific needs would be beyond greatly appreciated. I've been trolling this fabulous forum like crazy and learned tons but not enough yet. Many, many thanks in advance. You guys are amazing !
 
Greetings,

I wish you and your newest family members the best in re-couping (pun intended, I guess) and recovery!
Hope what goes around comes around in your rescue effort(s).
If this site can't relieve most of your current stressors, I am not sure what will?! ;).
Take care.
 
Welcome to BYC. Please check out the coops and predator sections. They should do for normal predators - I doubt that much will repulse bears, short of flame throwers or heat seeking missiles.

From what I understand their thick fur prevents them from feeling electric shock. They need to have their nose or face touch the wires. Some people wrap aluminum foil bits on the wires and smear with peanut to get bears, raccoons etc. to nuzzle them and be SURPRISED. I don't know how well that works on bears but, they claim raccoons get a real "charge" out of it.

If money were no object ( yeah, right!) I would go with concrete flooring for coop and runs to prevent preds from digging under. I would think a coop and run within a larger, taller run fence(barbed wire at the top) might persuade most preds to go elsewhere..of course the electric fencing on the outer fence hoping that prevents them from getting to the inner run.

The inside run would have a solid cover to stand up to snow loads, provide some shelter from rain and keep flying predators as well as those that jump down from trees away from your flock. This is probably just dream work, I can imagine how expensive it would be. Maybe some of these ideas could be put into play.

I would use 1/2" hardware cloth around the inner run. You should check out what others in your area are using - go to "where am I, where are you," in the social forum to locate and post on your state thread.

Wish you all the best in protecting your animals. Are you allowed to use guns to protect them?
 
Welcome to BYC! You can build your coop like Fort Knox, but the only way to keep a determined bear out of a coop or run is with either electric fencing, or good guard dogs, or both (or shooting the bear before it tears into the coop/run). You can check out BYC's section on Bear Proof Chicken Coop at https://www.backyardchickens.com/newsearch?search=bear+proof+chicken+coop, but I think you will find that those options are pretty much it where your bears are concerned. Good luck with your flock.
 
Welcome to BYC
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Glad you joined us! I'm so sorry to hear about your loss! Head up to the Learning Center and look under "Maintaining a healthy flock", there is a sub-section on predators and pests with articles on the different predators and how to protect your flock against them. There are links within the articles to relevant threads on the forum for further reading as well. With the range of predators you are dealing with I'd pull out the big guns and get electric poultry fencing/netting, 1/2" hardware cloth around the run, including a buried "apron" and a cement floor for the coop for starters. I'd also look into getting a livestock guardian dog for added protection and as a deterrent. There are a few discussions on them here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/newsearch?search=livestock+guardian+dogs

For coop designs and plans, have a browse through the Coops section. Best of luck with your restart! I hope everything will work out well for you!
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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Do your best at building a fort knox for a coop and run. We have coyotes. cougars, bobcates, brown bear and all the others smaller varmints too. I can't free range because of all these things prowling, but have built and over built my coops and runs. Build it like you are going to live in it. LOL That is what we did. And I have never had a break in in all these years.

Good luck and welcome to our flock!
 
Thanks for the warm welcome ! I already have 'the' goods for electric fence and will be calling fish/wildlife/game/ bear gurus for an inspection and advice for ground predators, I guess my biggest question is coop plans for standing up to snow and aerial predators while still allowing sun and safe ground. I'm totally confused on concrete mesh vs chicken toes and dust bathing abilities. I can only afford to do this right and large enough the first time around. I have 8 dogs so predators generally don't come close to my fence , but I don't want to entice them either. I research too much and freak myself out but I do it for the good of the creatures. Lol .... yeh, I'm a nut and I admit it. Thanks everyone
 
I've also been following lisa at fresh eggs daily and have added a chicken herb garden on my deck and after reading these forums purchased Sweet pfd or whatever the heck it is lol. They are currently in my jack Russell proof indoor outdoor kennel until I get the coop built. I found the featured Alaska coop very interesting and helpful yet mind boggling
 
Welcome to BYC!! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

Fresh eggs daily is such a great lite. And yes, build your coop very strong.

Good luck with your chickens and feel free to ask any questions.
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! Sounds like you are doing a good job in planning Coop Knox. With mesh/wire around the coop/run bottom, it is usually buried a couple of feet deep straight down around the edges, or laid flat out on the ground on the sides and that covered a couple of inches with something (most predators are not smart enough to back up and dig farther back when they hit wire)... or if the bottom of the run itself is lined, then they put a foot or so of sand/dirt etc on top of the wire so the chickens don't have to walk on it, sand is popular because it makes for good drainage.
 

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