How do I keep my chickens from pretties at night?

silkies1o1

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I have 3 little, week old silkies chickens and I am worried when I put them outside they will be eaten by a fox or an other animal, I have a chicken coop with a 8x10 chicken wire and wood cage around it with a steel roof, but I am still concerned something will dig under. Any suggestions?
 
It's advised not to use chicken wire, as predators can easily rip through it (or at least with certain preds, they can reach in through the wire and grab the birds, shocking and inuring them.) Hardware cloth is the way to go. I've still got to learn about constructing a coop and run, but would burying the hardware cloth at least a foot in the ground around the perimetre of the coop and run be a good idea? Any more experienced chickeners want to chime in?
 
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Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! Check out the Coop/Run design forum for ideas on making your coop/run predator proof. X2 you will want to use hardware cloth. And for the bottom either burying wire down or out a couple of feet or using big pavers/concrete is what most people do where they have digging predators. www.backyardchickens.com/f/9/coop-amp-run-design-construction-amp-maintenance
 
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Welcome to BYC!

Make sure to over build on everything. Don't use chicken wire, make sure nothing can dig under to get in and it never hurts to use solar lighting. My back yard is lit up like an airport run way. LOL I have solar lighting around all aviaries and coops and have never had a break in yet.

Good luck and enjoy your babies!
 
Hi. rezchamp here. I've been raising birds for just over 20 years. My Grand folks (& their parents before them) raised birds for 30 years before I was born.
Coupled with what I remember from my childhood and what I've experienced the following formula works well with me,... For a temporary outdoor run,... lay a roll of stucco wire on the ground and cut it in half, turn till both open ends meet, join with twisted wire, roll out one "end" and roll in the other. This will make 110' roll. Take to site, roll out 23&1/2', cut, turn &90*, roll out23&1/2', repeat till 23&1/2 by 23&1/2 square. Put posts thru the inside perimeter of the "dig barrier". 2 more rolls of stucco wire standing tacked/stapled/nailed to outside of posts( not too deep{nails or posts}). Barbed wire strands at 0" 6" 12" 18" 24" on outside of stucco to deter ground attack. 6' 1" mesh chicken wire on inside of posts. A cpl of posts inside with a rail across will support an old fishing net with bright cloth ribbons & old DVDs/CDs tied to it will deter avian attack. My little coop goes inside.
I move it to new spot for next summer. The horses and the lawn mower ensures the grass doesn't get to tangled in the dig barrier. Lots of work but it works for me. That being said I don't know if you live in town or country. Hope I've helped.
HAGD
 
Alright
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BYC has a very useful learning center
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Chicken wire is to keep chickens in and nothing out ...


You might want to have a chge like this for your chicks till you construct a proper coop and run ,,,,, Fox, Bob-Cat, Raccoon's and other predators can get into your coop so it is up to you to make it as safe as possible ......


This predator did a lot of damage till greed got in his way
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Mr. Bob-Cat and others can devastate a good size flock in short order so you should find some heavy wire and bury it around the perimeter of your coop and if you have some tin put it around the lower sides of your coop and cover the top .....
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gander007
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