How do I mongoose proof my coop?

[Maree]

Hi everyone

I live in Kenya and have just become a member of BYC as I need some advice. I currently have four hens who provide me with eggs. I've just moved house and half an hour the 'girls' started squawking and I went out and saw a Mongoose running away. Up until now they've been free range but as there's already a fence for a dog run I've been putting then in there during the day and back in their coop at night.

What's the best way to Mongoose proof? Will chicken wire keep them out or does it need something stronger? The dog run has big gaps between the wood so I was already thinking of putting chicken wire around the inside and maybe making a roof of it as well to stop the hawks. Would that also keep out the mongoose? We'll continue to put them back in the coop at night.

I've been thinking about getting a rooster anyway and have now read that that will help. I'm just not so keen on the early wake up call, they're not too far away from our bedroom in this house.

Thanks

 

[Trefoil]

I would use 1/2" hardware cloth. Its much stronger than chicken wire and the smaller holes will deter the mongoose from poking his fingers in if he is so inclined.

 

[liz9910]

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings, Maree, and

! Happy you joined us but sorry to hear about your mongoose problem. Since I have no idea what a mongoose is capable of in terms of getting inside a chicken coop, I don't have much advice. However, I know there are several BYC members from Hawaii where mongooses also live. You might want to go to the Social forum and under the thread Where Am I? Where Are You? you can find the state of Hawaii. You might post your question there as some of those folks may have dealt with a similar problem. Good luck to you!

 

[sumi]

Hello and welcome to BYC

I lived in SA and we had a huge problem with mongoose. They not only kill chickens, but steal eggs as well! Metal sheets, placed on their sides with chicken wire on top helped me. As you can see in this pic:



I build this pen to put my chicks in as they were getting killed by mongoose. It was expensive, but it worked! I put fine chick fence on top as mongoose have the amazing (and irritating) ability to get through small gaps. Also make sure you don't have any gaps under your fence as they can crawl in there very easily.
A dog would be a very good deterrent and a rooster in your flock would help. My roo used to attack and chase them!

 

[Maree]

Hey thanks everyone for your prompt replies, you've given me some ideas and a great welcome to BYC!. Maybe I'll try chicken wire for a start and make sure it's well attached at the bottom. Sumi, if it looks like they're getting in I could then try the corrugated iron. I think I'd better look for a rooster as well. Noisy things but they have their uses.

 

[sumi]

Roosters are great to have around! Mine always warned me early on if there was a predator and like I said, sometimes they'll chase them off too!

 

[SarahRogers]

hi did the chicken wire work with the mongoose - we are builing ours now and have just had a family of mongoose move in?

 

[Cocopops]

Hi. I live in South Africa and have a family of mongoose next door. They have managed to get into my coop twice despite the fact that it has corrugated and chicken wire. First time it killed 4 of my chicks. 2nd time I was in the garden. They get in through the most tiny gaps. They like slinkys. Not quite sure what the answer is. Hopefully my chicks will reach adulthood. I have at least 1 rooster and these chickens get really big. Fingers crossed!!!!

 

[cmom]

This is an older thread but pertinent. Hardware cloth is most likely the best. We do have weasels but not where I'm at (yet) which are very similar to a mongoose but a little smaller. I have done some research and read tons of posts on them. Chicken wire may work to keep a mongoose out as long as there are no small spaces it can squeeze through. A weasel can get through chicken wire. Good luck...