Hi everyone. Yesterday I had a weasel attack my chickens in the late morning and then come back later that afternoon even with a human keeping watch. Ended up killing four of my eight chickens. It crawled through my fencing which is 2x4 wire fence. I normally have issues with stray dogs getting in my yard, not weasels. I hate to do it because they are currently in about a 1/4 acre fenced area but I think I have to put them back in their much smaller enclosed run that I built several years ago because we had fox problems. It’s still part of their fenced area. I haven’t seen a fox in years so we let them have access to a bigger yard this summer. At the time, I built the run completely enclosed (top and sides) with the 2x4 fencing but I’m going to have to remove that and use hardware cloth I guess to keep the weasels out. My question is, do I need to put the hardware cloth on the top of the run as well or can I leave the regular fencing up there? The run is 6 feet tall so I can walk around inside. Will weasels climb that tall during the day to get in through the top? The coop is secure and they get locked up in the coop at night. I’m planning on using the 1/2 inch hc but was worried leaves or snow would be a problem on the top section. Anyone else not have a solid enclosed roof on their run and using hc? I’m trying to get a handle on all the work that needs to get done in the next few days as the remaining hens are locked in the coop during the day for safety till I get this finished. They aren’t happy. I’m not a violent person but I’m ashamed to say I really want to lay hands on that varmit.
. I assume your predators are aerial? Sally PB, the tarp you have on your run, is your run roof slanted or flat? Mine has a slight slant coming from the coop (lean to style) because I had to start the run roof above the door. (It’s one of those 8x10 backyard garden sheds with the gambrel roof) after about 10 feet it levels off flat for about 4 to 6 feet. Since I was using the 2x4 inch fencing up there it didn’t matter much. Since you use that in Michigan, it doesn’t bow from the rain and snow and how far apart are your run roof supports spaced? Right now mine are four feet because that’s the size fencing I was using. You said you only tarp half, does the other half have hc on it? Sorry for all the questions, I only want to climb on top of there as few a times as I can. Not fond of heights or walking around on 2x4s…..
