HOW TO KEEP EVERYTHING OUT?

[Folly's place]

I agree completely; it's meant to be an analogy, to help people build better. Many of us have learned the hard way over the years about predator defense, and the Ft. Knox comparison does help. Mary

 

[iwiw60]

Quote: Just a term of speech Ol Grey Mare...just a term of speech...

This was my original post:
Quote:

 

[FluffyPuff]

How should I build it like Fort Knox? I mean I know it's just an expression but still...

 

[iwiw60]

Everyone reinforces their setups differently. Me personally? I use 1/2" hardware cloth everywhere...every nook and cranny gets it. Plus it goes down into the ground about 12-18" at an outward angle then buried. Have a look through this BYC forum board...literally TONS of information and ideas:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/9/coop-run-design-construction-maintenance

Put on a BIG pot of coffee and plan on spending hours in there!!

I sure did!!

 

[Triple Willow]

Determined dogs can get through hardware cloth. I'm sure a determined fox or coyote could too. But I do have hardware cloth for one of my coops. I am thinking about covering the hardware cloth with cattle panels. My other coops are chainlink. The best deterant for most predators is electric fencing. If you are using a tractor you could get a solar charger or even battery powered charger and go from there.

 

[Egg Thief]

I have chicken wire for winter outside coop build in but used hardware cloth for summer temporary huge coop works purrrrrfectly

 

[missnu01]

I have a question also... How can you keep predators out without completely modifying a coop and making it look like a jail? Is there an organic spray of some sort that repels raccoon, squirls etc.? I do not want to use any harmful chemicals and I really don't want to go to the store and buy more stuff to keep them critters out.

pee from a large male dog is sometimes a deterrent to a lot of predators, but if they are hungry they will test it.

 

[Drivernumber22]

pee from a large male dog is sometimes a deterrent to a lot of predators, but if they are hungry they will test it.

I wish this was true. I've got a dog who's outside a good bit. *sigh* think it was a fox or racoon that got my duck...

 

[Pecanny]

I have 1/8 inch hog pen wire (hack saw required) doubled and woven to 2"X2" with an under row of yard fence inlined with a row of chicken wire. I dare anything to chew through that. If he did, he won't have no teeth left to chew up my chickens!

 

[Folly's place]

Cattle panels are good; so is woven wire horse fencing, the2"x4" type, with hardware cloth over it. My run and coop are on a old concrete foundation, and it's wonderful. Nobody can dig in! Mary