help?!?!?!

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

How small of a hole can a mouse get through?? Watch this youtube to find out

What an interesting video!

 

[baah]

can predators dig under dirt? and if we put board on the borders of the ground but still leave dirt ground on the middle of coop can anything get in?

 

[baah]

Dogs, dogs, dogs. best predator control for any vulnerable farm animal is another animal. It takes time & diligence to get the right dog, but once you do, you will have few to zero worries with anything that wants to eat your chickens, rabbits, lambs, kids, whatever I even have dogs that LOVE to hunt rats...we have organized rat hunts...put a water hose down a hole and just wait at other holes for them to start exiting...the dogs do most of the work, catch and bite the necks, but our family also helps with metal rods to smack down other escapees. I know it sounds hillbilly to the 10th degree, but we don’t cant use poison bc of our cats and traps are ridiculously ineffective. Overall, dogs are vigilant guards, especially at night when birds are most vulnerable. They have the senses to match predators and develop deep bonds with the animals they are raised with to protect. My favorite breed? Akbash...turkish breed, big white dog, similar to Pyrenees but less
of a wanderer. NOBODY will fool with an Albash, and just having their scent around will help more than you know. Raise the dog alongside the animals you want them to protect...NOT in ur house. Ever. Provide for them outside next to your coop, and expect some mistakes in early months as they mature and learn

 

[grandbayou]

buy an electric fence charger and run wire about 3 inches from the ground... i use a light switch to turn mine off during the day when i let my birds out...critters don't like electricity..

 

[gooberfest]

can predators dig under dirt? and if we put board on the borders of the ground but still leave dirt ground on the middle of coop can anything get in?

I have traps for small/large animals(cages). I also use mice/rat pellets in their tunnels. I bought a few JTEATON tube rat/mice pellet holder.

 

[aart]

I don't know what else to tell you. You asked how to protect your chickens. You were given advice. You asked about ideas you had instead of the advice you were given. You were given advice about that. Now you say you don't have time to take the advice you asked for. It sounds like you want us to say yeah go ahead, throw down wood and logs, that'll work. Sorry. Experience says no. You need to take time to care for your chickens before you suffer a horrible heartache. Adding "easy" things isn't taking care, certainty won't protect them.

Ditto Dat^^^ x100

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

What an interesting video!

mouses can eat ducks?

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

Dogs, dogs, dogs. best predator control for any vulnerable farm animal is another animal. It takes time & diligence to get the right dog, but once you do, you will have few to zero worries with anything that wants to eat your chickens, rabbits, lambs, kids, whatever I even have dogs that LOVE to hunt rats...we have organized rat hunts...put a water hose down a hole and just wait at other holes for them to start exiting...the dogs do most of the work, catch and bite the necks, but our family also helps with metal rods to smack down other escapees. I know it sounds hillbilly to the 10th degree, but we don’t cant use poison bc of our cats and traps are ridiculously ineffective. Overall, dogs are vigilant guards, especially at night when birds are most vulnerable. They have the senses to match predators and develop deep bonds with the animals they are raised with to protect. My favorite breed? Akbash...turkish breed, big white dog, similar to Pyrenees but less
of a wanderer. NOBODY will fool with an Albash, and just having their scent around will help more than you know. Raise the dog alongside the animals you want them to protect...NOT in ur house. Ever. Provide for them outside next to your coop, and expect some mistakes in early months as they mature and learn

we do have a dog, but he is an inside dog. your saying to keep a dog outside right?

 

[Cryss]

mouses can eat ducks?

No. They bring in diseases and they eat the chickens food so you're paying for more feed than your chickens use.

we do have a dog, but he is an inside dog. your saying to keep a dog outside right?

Dogs are great protectors only if they are properly trained from the time they are pups. If that is something you want there are lots of threads here about types of dogs suited for such work and how to raise and train them. That will only work if you have time to train a puppy properly and consistently. If you don't have time to take care of your chickens I don't think a dog is a viable option for you.

EDIT: Sorry I keep saying chickens. I know you have ducks. I'm just used to talking chicken.

 

[Cryss]

@grandbayou electric fences are a great idea but if OP doesn't have time to place an apron they certainly don't have time to figure out, build, and install an electric fence.