I know, I know, I am hard headed.....Chicken wire question

[Monk]

Chicksdigit, I was wondering the same thing. I live in a very rural area, mostly dairy farms and logging, I used 2"x 4" welded mesh and never had a problem. I hear coyotes nearly every night howling and see them occasionally, as well as fox. Hawks are everywhere. I rarely see raccoons except a road kill, maybe they are off getting fat on corn??? I kept chickens years ago and just getting back into it being retired. I had them 8 years or so, even free-ranged them one year. I only lost one bird while free-ranged, none using 2"x 4" mesh. Maybe some areas are worst them others? Is it hysteria? Or am I just lucky?

 

[patandchickens]

Browse the "Predators and Pests" section of this forum. You will find plenty of threads with titles like "lost all my chcikens last night" where a dog or raccoon or similar predator ripped chickenwire apart.

If you still want to use it, and want to count on being as lucky as your neighbors have been so far, fine, go ahead, just don't say you weren't warned when it's YOUR turn to post "lost all my chickens last night".

Good luck,

Pat

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Realize, though, that even with very large raccoon populations, you still rarely see them except as road kill. And roadkill numbers are typically teensy tiny infinitesimal compared to the population of actual live raccoons running around.

Those who feel they do not have much in the way of predators around, try this. Take a can of tuna. Open it. Put it out on the ground in your proposed coop location. See how many nights it lasts. Not too darn many, eh? (Like, in many cases, just hours). Think about it.

Pat

 

[racuda]

I have wondered if people have racoons and other varmints go through chicken wire, do they have a dog outside?

I have 2 dogs and one of them, the alpha female (Chow Lab mix) has killed 2 racoons that I know about, plus countless possums.

She is always on duty, all through the night. I know this because I get up at random hours throughout the night to take my lil Westie out.

 

[Snakeoil]

I lost 11 pheasants in one night to a mother coon and two of her young. I had left a window open, the chicken wire was no deterent what so ever.

 

[winniegirl]

My friend's run is 2 x 4 welded wire and no top. She lives in a more
rural area than us, right next to a cornfield with plenty of hawks. And She's never lost a hen to a hawk or raccoon! I look at her run and just can't believe it.

We have chicken wire top and bottom and hardware cloth around the bottom foot. No racoons in 9 months but they must be around since I do see roadkill. We do have our pretty redtails though!

Crossing my fingers...

 

[Chicksdigit]

Quote:
Realize, though, that even with very large raccoon populations, you still rarely see them except as road kill. And roadkill numbers are typically teensy tiny infinitesimal compared to the population of actual live raccoons running around.

Those who feel they do not have much in the way of predators around, try this. Take a can of tuna. Open it. Put it out on the ground in your proposed coop location. See how many nights it lasts. Not too darn many, eh? (Like, in many cases, just hours). Think about it.

Pat

But Pat .....cats love tuna too......... at my house the cats wouldn't have a chance ......too darn many Raccoons.

I sent two to Raccoon heaven this week and am up to 9 since November........yep we have some Raccoons.
I am convinced.

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
Everyone around here uses chicken wire, and everyone seems to have birds that live and no problem with raccoons. What you need to do is install it properly - and yes, I also have the heavy-duty thick chicken wire. Every seam is sealed or covered with wood. We have raccoons, I see them all the time - but they've made absolutely no inroads into the run, and it's been over a year. We have an animal control law so not much of a dog problem. I do inspect the wire frequently to make sure nothing is coming loose, etc. But if you live in an area where you've got larger predators I suppose it could be more of a problem.

 

[codybird]

I have wondered about this also.

Do the coons actually go through the wire or find a weak spot where it is not attached properly.

That said, I have seen several cages that people keep coons in (wild not tame) and none of them have been made of chicken wire.

 

[Monk]

Quote:
Realize, though, that even with very large raccoon populations, you still rarely see them except as road kill. And roadkill numbers are typically teensy tiny infinitesimal compared to the population of actual live raccoons running around.

Those who feel they do not have much in the way of predators around, try this. Take a can of tuna. Open it. Put it out on the ground in your proposed coop location. See how many nights it lasts. Not too darn many, eh? (Like, in many cases, just hours). Think about it.

Pat

Pat, I hunt, fish and trap, I am well aware of the predator populations in our area. I do see some have real problems with predators, but I have never had a real problem with predators. Neighbors on either side of me free-range their birds with no problems either, that's way I ask the same question???
The tuna test is just inviting problems, as well as pet food left out regularly. Between dogs, cats, possums and raccoons neither would last long in that order respectively.
I am considering some more predator protection though, but just trying to keep it in perspective.