How would you protect your chickens from predators??

[chickennducksqueen]

Ever since I adopted my first chicken, U have met a fellow chicken entuisiast: Melanie
Now, I've never had any problems with predators. We use two layers of chicken wire and a floor in the coop. However, Melanie didn't have a second layer or a floor in her coop. This caused a problems. A raccoon got in through a window that when open is only protected with chicken wire. He was able to grab the threat of a sleeping silkie and strangle it, but wasn't able to get it through the fence so he gave up. And unfortunately the chicken died. Melanie came home late and when she came home the chicken was already dead. She had left the window open to let in some air. She put a second layer of chicken wire overlapping the first layer so no predators can reach in.
But, another problem occurred. A fox was able to dig under the wall and get inside the coop at night. It catched 3 chickens two RIR and one GLW. It didn't catch any of the other 11 because Melanie heard the ruckus and came running, which scared the fox. Melanie added a wooden floor to the coop.
She's wondering if their are any other extra precautions she can take to ensure the safety of her beloved flock. Any suggestions? I will tell her all ideas!

 

[ChickonLand]

So sad!!! I cannot give advice on a run because my hens are fully free range with a hutch they go into at night. Until a better run is built maybe she could try locking them in their coop at night? That seems to work fine for my hens but make sure you let them out as soon as there is light in the morning!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

The coop needs to have hardware cloth (1/2 inch) over any opening larger than an inch and a door secured against lifting, prying or forcing which is closed from dusk to dawn. The run will need to be reinforced with an anti dig skirt, hardware cloth and/or electric wire. Now that meals have been had predators will be that much more determined in their efforts

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Btw, poultry netting, even in ttweo layers, is NOT predator resistant

 

[Birdinhand]

it's really a crime that they call that stuff "poultry netting" or "chicken wire", it simply encourages people to buy it when 1/2" galvanized hardware cloth is about the only thing I know of that does the trick. I lost an entire flock once to foxes, the loss was so devastating that when I got back into raising chickens with my kids I did a lot of research. I framed out the coop, covered the entire thing in hardware cloth, 2 ft into the ground, pointing at a 45% angle away from the coop in all directions, made it tight by using screws and washers as a come along and nailed the thing every 4 inches with U nails. I have never had an issue, money well spent. If I were to do it again, I'd just put go all the way under the coop too. It's not cheap, $250 for a 4 ft wide roll that is 100 ft long but it is the best money spent IMHO. I do not free range, there are bald eagles, cayotes, hawks, coons, dogs etc all around us that can attack any time of day or night. everyone I know who free ranges accepts that they lose some, but the worst attacks tend to be at night, so a secure coop that gets locked up and dust and opened after dawn takes care of most of the issues, as long as the coop is well fortified.

 

[chickennducksqueen]

So sad!!! I cannot give advice on a run because my hens are fully free range with a hutch they go into at night. Until a better run is built maybe she could try locking them in their coop at night? That seems to work fine for my hens but make sure you let them out as soon as there is light in the morning!

Not on the more about the actual coop

 

[chickennducksqueen]

I meant not on the run*** lol

 

[chickennducksqueen]

So sad!!! I cannot give advice on a run because my hens are fully free range with a hutch they go into at night. Until a better run is built maybe she could try locking them in their coop at night? That seems to work fine for my hens but make sure you let them out as soon as there is light in the morning!

she does lock them in the coop they were sleeping under a window that's why they got killed and there was no floor in the coop sorry if it was confusing any tips for her on the actual coop??

 

[chickennducksqueen]

I

Btw, poultry netting, even in ttweo layers, is NOT predator resistant

l will tell her that and that she needs to download this app cause you guys are very smart

 

[chickennducksqueen]

it's really a crime that they call that stuff "poultry netting" or "chicken wire", it simply encourages people to buy it when 1/2" galvanized hardware cloth is about the only thing I know of that does the trick. I lost an entire flock once to foxes, the loss was so devastating that when I got back into raising chickens with my kids I did a lot of research. I framed out the coop, covered the entire thing in hardware cloth, 2 ft into the ground, pointing at a 45% angle away from the coop in all directions, made it tight by using screws and washers as a come along and nailed the thing every 4 inches with U nails. I have never had an issue, money well spent. If I were to do it again, I'd just put go all the way under the coop too. It's not cheap, $250 for a 4 ft wide roll that is 100 ft long but it is the best money spent IMHO. I do not free range, there are bald eagles, cayotes, hawks, coons, dogs etc all around us that can attack any time of day or night. everyone I know who free ranges accepts that they lose some, but the worst attacks tend to be at night, so a secure coop that gets locked up and dust and opened after dawn takes care of most of the issues, as long as the coop is well fortified.

I actually use hardware cloth on my coop but Melanie was on a very fixed budget apparently and didn't want to buy more things idk why I think she was also so devastated over the loss of her silkie she didn't want to get excited bout something then have it not work. But I will have to show her your responses thanks so much