Help With Predator-proofing, Please!

[denisesoderlind]

As I said I let the sparrows be. They are good easy hawk food.
Our birds are free range going in a secure coop at nite. The cat won't come around if
there are humans around during the day.

 

[wild chick]

I don't know about the winds / protection of such but I live in an inholding in the Nat'l forest in NM and I put my coop WAY in from the border fence. The coop is inside an old horse corral that is chainlink or 2 x 4" wire and we put 4 strands of hot wire on the outside of that. Plus the pen has a wire roof and the coop locks up. Going on 3 years now and these free range daytime/night time Fort Knox chickens are doing well. 1 was killed by neighbor dogs and one was killed by ??? prolly fox or bobcat at dusk before locking up. Nothing has gotten them at night in lockup. Knock on wood. They free range all daylight hours on 7 + acres.

 

[denisesoderlind]

There was a hawk couple screaming in the trees above the coops this morning. I stood there and stared at them. They finally left.
Scary.