Hi, I'm a new member and I need some advice.

[DJ Oliver]

I'm new to raising chickens. We moved to Texas almost 4 years ago in 2013 and we bought our first set of chickens shortly thereafter. We started off with six production red hens that provided us lots of eggs. We then added some Ameraucana hens and we were doing well until some raccoons happened along and decimated our flock. We then lined the pen that holds the coops with chicken wire. So, again everything was going well up until about 10 days ago when my husband found a dead Ameraucana hen. He said it looked like something ate a hole above the tail feathers. We thought it was an egg obstruction and then the other hens maybe started in on it, but now we found another one inside the nesting box in the same condition a week later.

 

[andreanar]

You need to use hardware cloth instead of chicken wire, Coons and rats will get thru chicken wire like its netting.

 

[DJ Oliver]

You need to use hardware cloth instead of chicken wire, Coons and rats will get thru chicken wire like its netting.

Rats? Oh my I haven't seen any evidence of rats. What is hardware cloth and where would I purchase that? Thank you for your quick response and advice.

 

[andreanar]

Ill answer on your other post or this is going to get confusing

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're happy you've joined us

 

[Smuvers Farm]

Sorry about your chickies.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Is it possible to tightly close your coop in the evening ?

 

[Fire Captain]

I'm new to raising chickens. We moved to Texas almost 4 years ago in 2013 and we bought our first set of chickens shortly thereafter. We started off with six production red hens that provided us lots of eggs. We then added some Ameraucana hens and we were doing well until some raccoons happened along and decimated our flock. We then lined the pen that holds the coops with chicken wire. So, again everything was going well up until about 10 days ago when my husband found a dead Ameraucana hen. He said it looked like something ate a hole above the tail feathers. We thought it was an egg obstruction and then the other hens maybe started in on it, but now we found another one inside the nesting box in the same condition a week later.

I highly recommend that you purchase some 1/4 inch wire fabric (ACE Hardware in 50 foot rolls). First dig a trench about eight inches deep all around the run. Then lay it out on all sides of your run. Fold it so that 3/4 of the wire extends up the outside of the existing chicken wire and 1/4 of it is buried in the trench. That will stop the burrowing critters. Adhere the wire fabric to your chicken wire with zip ties or wire. I also buried 1/4 inch wire fabric 8 inches deep inside our run to stop tunneling critters. Good luck and have fun.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Welcome to BYC! I'm sorry to hear of your losses. You definitely need to use hardware cloth around your run for more protection. Make sure the top of your run is also covered and have either a skirt or burried hardware cloth around it to protect from digging predators.

 

[N F C]

So sorry for your losses, that's always tough.

In addition to the hardware cloth recommendation, I'd like to add that if you leave any food out at the end of the day, that will attract things like rats and mice. Be sure to put up any leftover food where nothing else will be able to get to it (like a metal trash can).

Best of luck to you!