Help, need advice on poultry net fencing against raccoons!

[beckymom3]

The reason I have overthought this and obsessed a bit is because we LOVED our chickens and turkeys. My boys and I have been in fits of despair, even tears, over losing those birds. And I blame myself.

So, I am determined to prove myself better than those darn coons! I know there will be times I will fail, but at least I will have done my best!

I like the multi-tiered lines of defense, too. Overkill to the max! Just add a Great Pyr to that and I'd be set!

I do like the notion of foil baited with yummy treats so the coons (and whoever decides to take a taste) get zapped hard in the kisser. I think that's a pretty smart idea.

Thanks! Also stringing the wire low, although I hate the hassle of keeping up with the grass

.

Tons of great advice!!!!

 

[arch_cpj]

I think it came out wrong trust me protect your investment and tryin to explain a killing field to little ones is tough... I always wondered why folks would try to build a fort knox coop I want a strong resistant coop if a determined animal is going to have all night to play at getting into the coop eventually they will my whole thought is as follows...

1. KEEP THE PREDATOR FROM WANTING TO GO NEAR THE COOP!!!!!
2. THE predators especially coons need to be kept away from the pen dont allow them to get close it could be as easy as running a coupll of wires around the coop attached to the coop TSC sells a nail on insulator will bumb the wire out like 4 - 6 in if they cant climb onto the coop without getting a zing good...

3. I want to be able to look out the window and even better have an audible alert if somethin or someone is snoopin arount the coop a 19 dollar driveway alarm wireless with the little IR eye and the solar powered motion lights from harbor freight can be gotten and now if I hear the beeper or see the light I know my perimeter is breached the light might even scare the critter off...
4. My coop will be tough but dont fool yourself if the predater as all night everynight to spend tryin to get in they will I dont care how ell you do it ...

The foil is a sweet trick and really works also before you put the chicks in the coop and while you are doin the foil deal put a couple cans cat food just in the fence let the coons run into those hot wires a few times...

5. Finally buy a live trap and set it all summer long outside the perimeter youll eventually get any curious fellows and you can eliminate them...25 bucks on sale at times at TSC...

For weeds round up is your friend spray at the base of the fence 3 -4 times a yar and mow close youll be suprised how easy it is to keep clear... All of the above will take 1/2 a day at most to do 2 hrs for fence 2 hors max for the rest...

 

[beckymom3]

I get it. Thanks! I have some great ideas to work with. I re-examined the yard and see that setting the electric wires 6" out top and bottom should make climbing that fence very hard to to, even with trees there. Trimming the branches away from the fence will help. Also, I love the idea of zapping them good a few times before the temptation is even there. They might get smart and not even come close enough to see there's yummy chickens waiting in that coop. I've never had a break in at the coop, only the yard....So I agree with you 100%

Thanks!

 

[gsim]

Quote:

You can put hardware cloth mesh overhead and it will keep coons out. A mountain lion or bobcat might get thru it, but properly installed, a coon will not. Of course, it will keep foxes, owls, and hawks out too.

 

[gsim]

Regards the coons using trees to come and go in your run, seems your solution is to trim up the trees so that the coons have too far to drop and no way back out if they do come in. May require some judicious pruning and or a removal. I did 2x4 welded wire, 6 ft tall, set in cement. It also has 2 ft tall run of mesh inside at ground level and a fence charger. No climb-ins or pred losses yet.

 

[arch_cpj]

glad you got some ideas I dont envy you tryin to explain a mess to a bunch of kids...

 

[beckymom3]

Quote:
Yep, tree trimming is in order, as well as the electricity. Got it started, thanks!

For the massacre and my kids: it was HORRIBLE!!!!

but they are very much into trying again. We have 22 chicks inside in brooders right now, and over 50 eggs in incubators and we are excited! The coop repairs/reinforcements are to keep the massacre from ever repeating itself. Once was enough for them to see that and learn that lesson....

 

[Smilin Teri]

it has tiny square holes instead of the large holes

 

[KOHLSKOFFEE]

Hi I was considering the electric fence to keep my chickens separated from each other. We have a Fort Knox coop and have fun watching the raccoons and skunks try to get in for hours we have motion lights. The city predators are so tame we can pet them as they try to dig under the electric coop door. They can't dig through wood, but that doesn't stop them from trying all night for hours. We have little, to no, daytime predation. The predators do seem to only come out in the dark. We have Hawks so we where considering an electric fence with poultry netting. The Hawks are not large our agressive enough to take an adult hen, but have tried for chicks in the past.