Help with chicken coop and run

[jjchickmom]

Testing the runs security this evening. All wire/cloth is on, roof is tarped and wired. Door is locked and solar motion security lights are on and ready to go. We put a bowl in the middle of the run filled with cat food which I know attracts raccoons to see what happens. Don't worry the babies are secure in their brooder in the garage.

I plan on beefing up the coop and run a little more tomorrow and finish clipping the zip ties. And yes they will have some supervised free range time enclosed in a portable fence each day as well.

They did have a field trip to visit it today

I'll try to post a pic tomorrow our internet is acting up. The joys of leaving out in the country

 

[jjchickmom]

Security is working so far. We were sitting in the livingroom and saw the solar security lights go off. We attached 4 of them to the run. We watched for a few minutes and saw a raccoon walk around the run looking for a way in. It ran off after about 5 minutes of checking it out. It had the scent of chicken poop, rabbit poop and cat food attracting it. We plan on leaving the cat food and other yummy treats in the run for the next week to watch the activity and to see if we have any weaknesses.

 

[jjchickmom]

Here is a pic of the coop.

We have been watching it this evening baited with cat food and the light from the solar security lights that I got on Amazon. So far we have stopped 2 raccoons and a possum that tried to both enter through the bottom, tried to dig in and tried to reach in. So far SUCCESS! Thank you for all of your suggestions. I'll let you know in the morning if it worked.

 

[jjchickmom]

VICTORY!!! Full bowl of cat food inside the run and no damage!

 

[Doc Schoepp]

I have almost the same setup as you described and other than the random field mice tracks in the mud (probably looking for feed that fell the day before) I havent had any issues. Even at one time had pictures/video clip of a raccoon that climbed on the top and decided it was taking too much time to get in. You may not be able to completely prevent predators from getting in but make it too much effort and they will wander off to easier food supplies (like my garbage can.....)

 

[jjchickmom]

I have almost the same setup as you described and other than the random field mice tracks in the mud (probably looking for feed that fell the day before) I havent had any issues. Even at one time had pictures/video clip of a raccoon that climbed on the top and decided it was taking too much time to get in. You may not be able to completely prevent predators from getting in but make it too much effort and they will wander off to easier food supplies (like my garbage can.....)

What really upset the raccoons was that I had a solar motion detector light on each side of the run. They tried circling it but they kept having light shine on them. Ha best $25 I ever spent. The possum tried digging but it ran into the ground wire and the big pavers and walked away. We figured it was pretty secure when my husband and I were inside it adding a few zip ties and a wasp could not figure out how to enter it using the bottom 3 feet that are wrapped in hardware cloth.

Knowing that the run is secure, I put my 2 Holland Lop bunnies in there to play. They are having a blast.

 

[jjchickmom]

Night 2 all is well. We saw 4 large raccoons walk through the yard last night. 3 just walked by and 1 circled the run 3-4 times before it got sick of activating the motion lights and being seen. Our neighbor has a huge old corn crib and a few old barns that I'm pretty sure they live in. No possum returned that we saw. However the deck pooper returned. I have a raccoon that visits my deck around 1 or 2 in the morning and poops on my deck while we are asleep. I have to keep a broom just for that on the deck and sweep it into a garden below every morning. The raccoons have left our rabbits who have a hutch on the deck alone. The only thing we did to secure their hutch is another latch and a brick on the lid.

My husband is considering getting a scarecrow sprinkler to scare the buggers away.

 

[jjchickmom]

Still no one getting in. Tomorrow I am upping the game and putting a can of tuna in there.

 

[jjchickmom]

Absolutely no visitors this evening Between the locks and the security I think they gave up and now go for an easier source of food. I hope this continues once we add chickens to the picture.

We are starting to get them ready for the coop by not using the brooder light during the day and we gave them a roost in the tank. Once our 2 youngest start getting more than just their wing feathers we are going to start turning the brooder lamp off at night.

 

[SandyinWI]

We are still in the process of putting up the hardware cloth around our run. I love how you're testing yours. I'll have to try that. Yesterday we took the girls out in the run for a couple hours. Once they got a little more used to it they seem to love it! The had baths and bugs and even some snuggle time!