- Apr 2, 2013
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I am still in the planning stages for chickens. I have a coop and a run blueprinted that is semi-portable, so that I can give them new forage in the run and deter animals digging under anything. I want to know how safe it is. Is this enough for our most common predators--coyotes opossums, and raccoons? The coyotes being the one that scares me the most as they wiped out the flock my parents raised when I was a kid.
The coop is to be two feet off ground to prevent snakes. I plan on 16 ga. hardware cloth on the windows and under the floor joists and over any other gap we find after the coop is complete. I am not planning on wiring the coop stilts so that the chickens can hide/play under it when in the run. Doors will have kicker plates, boards the run along the bottom that stick up 2-4 inches. The run is 12.5 ga. field wire that is 6 feet high, but because the spacing is too big for chickens, 6 foot chicken wire would be woven to the field wire. Although panels are 6 ga., it would be impossible to keep the wire less than a inch from the ground across the whole span and the tallest on is only 5 feet. 5.5 feet is the recommendation for coyotes. The wire would be clipped and wire tied to a heavy duty 8 foot t-post space 5 feet apart. The t-posts driven into the ground 1.5-2 feet. I planned for reinforced corner posts. It is rare to even hear hawks in my area, but I have a medium weight aviary net that can be staked over the run.
For management, the chickens would be allowed out into the run during daylight and padlocked into the coop at night. Plus I could have an automatic door. They could free range when I or a family member is able to supervise them. Feed removed from coop at night to help prevent rats. Water of course would be provided at all times. Plus daily visual safety check of coop and run. A more through one when they are moved, installed, and cleaned.
The coop can not to electrified and I can't see how I could afford an electric fence in the first couple of years. I'm sure you all know how expensive it is to start a flock.
The coop is to be two feet off ground to prevent snakes. I plan on 16 ga. hardware cloth on the windows and under the floor joists and over any other gap we find after the coop is complete. I am not planning on wiring the coop stilts so that the chickens can hide/play under it when in the run. Doors will have kicker plates, boards the run along the bottom that stick up 2-4 inches. The run is 12.5 ga. field wire that is 6 feet high, but because the spacing is too big for chickens, 6 foot chicken wire would be woven to the field wire. Although panels are 6 ga., it would be impossible to keep the wire less than a inch from the ground across the whole span and the tallest on is only 5 feet. 5.5 feet is the recommendation for coyotes. The wire would be clipped and wire tied to a heavy duty 8 foot t-post space 5 feet apart. The t-posts driven into the ground 1.5-2 feet. I planned for reinforced corner posts. It is rare to even hear hawks in my area, but I have a medium weight aviary net that can be staked over the run.
For management, the chickens would be allowed out into the run during daylight and padlocked into the coop at night. Plus I could have an automatic door. They could free range when I or a family member is able to supervise them. Feed removed from coop at night to help prevent rats. Water of course would be provided at all times. Plus daily visual safety check of coop and run. A more through one when they are moved, installed, and cleaned.
The coop can not to electrified and I can't see how I could afford an electric fence in the first couple of years. I'm sure you all know how expensive it is to start a flock.
