How long after setting up a coop/run did you notice anything trying to get in?

[Meg Gerstenfeld]

We're new at this so please excuse the noob question. We've had our chickens outside in the coop/run for 2 months now and so far everything is great. It doesn't look like anything has tried to dig under, no indications of mice or anything. We have a lot of possible predators in the area, raccoons, foxes, mink, dogs, and there are even coyotes in the area though I've never seen them in our neighborhood.

I guess my question is, how long did it take for local predators to make an initial attempt on your chicken fortress after you put chickens in there originally? Do the local predators not know they're there yet or are we just that awesome at run building ? Is there a season where they're more likely to try and break in and we just haven't hit it yet?

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

I've had my coop for six years and nothing has tried a major break-in yet. We made it as secure as possible, with hardware cloth on all the openings, automatic door, etc. The run wire has been bent up a few times, but the coop is closed off from the run at night, so it hasn't been a big deal.

Whereabouts do you live? I'm just assuming US right now, looking at the predators you listed. We have a lot of the same predators as you do, mostly raccoons, coyotes and hawks. The raccoons especially seem more active right now, and I'd assume this is the biggest time for activity, it being mating season and all. Our big cat has gotten in a raccoon fight before, and we've found them many times in our mulberry tree, so I know they're around. They just don't seem to bother the chickens, for which I'm very thankful.

 

[Jimmy W]

I have my coop here now about 3 months, I see fox regularly, about 200 yds away in the cut. Hardware cloth buried around the run and automatic door on coop. I have not noticed any attempts on the coop, nor have I ever seen them closer than the cut. I plan on putting up the game cams around the coop, if I ever dig them out.

I also never let the chickens out unless I am around.

I do expect they will find the coop sooner or later and I am pretty confident the protective measures I put in when building should hold up.

As for a season, I would lean towards fall/Winter, there are many young groundhogs and rabbits around here, and they regularly try to poach my garden. They wiped me out of Kale and it was my fault cause I sown it outside the garden fence line. I am too empathic to set out traps at the moment as I see the momma and the babies.

 

[StinkyAcres]

It took about three years for predators to find our coop and break in. We've seen just about every predator there is in this area in our yard and only foxes and raccoons have done damage.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Don't know how long it took but I've seen evidence of raccoons trying to pry off a corner of hardware cloth over the chain link run (it left fur behind) and I've seen a rat tunnel about 10" under the run apron. Most recently there was a raptor of some sort sitting on top of the run netting.

Other pests/predators I've spotted near the coop and run (that did not attempt to breech, but might've been thinking about it) would include owls, bobcat, black bear, coyote, stray dogs.

 

[Meg Gerstenfeld]

I've had my coop for six years and nothing has tried a major break-in yet. We made it as secure as possible, with hardware cloth on all the openings, automatic door, etc. The run wire has been bent up a few times, but the coop is closed off from the run at night, so it hasn't been a big deal.

Whereabouts do you live? I'm just assuming US right now, looking at the predators you listed. We have a lot of the same predators as you do, mostly raccoons, coyotes and hawks. The raccoons especially seem more active right now, and I'd assume this is the biggest time for activity, it being mating season and all. Our big cat has gotten in a raccoon fight before, and we've found them many times in our mulberry tree, so I know they're around. They just don't seem to bother the chickens, for which I'm very thankful.

I'm in the US, outside of Philadelphia, PA. We trenched down about a foot where the run was going to be set and packed 12 inch ceramic tiles in vertically and put the run directly on top of it and used earth anchors to secure it to the ground. And then we ran 1/2" hardware cloth around the perimeter and bent it out along the ground about 6 inches out.

Our coop is inside the run and the chickens are secured in the coop nightly as well.

 

[Krugerrand]

My pullets were in their isolation coop for less then a week when raccoon and fox were checking them out (didn't even know we had fox nearby until it showed up on the camera). I never saw evidence of any serious attempt to try and breach their space. But, that raccoon climbed up. So, I'm glad they were completely encased in hardware cloth.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

I'm in the US, outside of Philadelphia, PA. We trenched down about a foot where the run was going to be set and packed 12 inch ceramic tiles in vertically and put the run directly on top of it and used earth anchors to secure it to the ground. And then we ran 1/2" hardware cloth around the perimeter and bent it out along the ground about 6 inches out.

Our coop is inside the run and the chickens are secured in the coop nightly as well.

That sounds like a pretty secure set-up! I bet if you had a game camera you would see animals checking it out, but they might not be able to get in. I've seen coyote droppings literally a foot away from my coop, but no evidence of an attempted break-in.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Before it was finished! Haha tried to dig through the hardware apron my hubby installed.