I think we have a little of it all here

[HerbGir1972]

Skunks, Foxes, Coyotes, Dogs, Feral Cats

There are the ones we have busted
We're tying to upgrade the defenses on our exisisting coop for 2014.
We know there are possums and raccoons around too as well as bobcats
What are a few tips from you who have successfully thwarted their attacks up to this point?

We've actually had some pretty brutal leavings in the past, and it is just horrible for the kids to go and be excited about feeding the chicks only to get there and find every one beheaded. With their little bodies just left there for them to find.
It's insane to try and keep them in our area I guess but they are just so beneficial if they can make it.

 

[VulpesVulpes]

Is your coop enclosed? Any fencing around the coop should continue below ground for at least six inches. Skunks, possums and raccoons are mostly nocturnal, so the use of motion sensor flood lights will help deter them. If you have dogs as pets, the bobcat will most likely stay away. Bobcats aren't fond of dogs. As for the coyotes, ammonia soaked rags or moth balls placed in a perimeter around your coop will help deter the coyotes and foxes. It really messes with their ability to smell, and they don't like that. I'm new to chickens myself, but I think in order to beat a predator you need to take a step back, examine your set up, and think like the predator and how it would attack or gain entry to your coop.

 

[CMV]

I have a pretty sweet set-up. I have 3 coops- all impenetrable by anything other than a bear. Hardware cloth over all vents and windows. The run has two fences. The hard wire fence is 4 feet of 1/2" hardware cloth at the bottom- 2 feet as the base of the fence and 2 feet as an apron on the ground. And then 4' of cattle fencing sewed to the hardware cloth with wire. That makes the fence 6' tall with a 2' apron. Surrounding all this I have a poultry netting electric fence on a solar charger, as a perimeter. The electric fence encompasses all the coops completely, whereas the hardwire fence does not. Over the top of the whole mess I have poultry netting strung up. A few areas where the netting couldn't be used I have twine strung into a kind of mesh net to prevent aerial attacks.

All in all, I have never lost a bird inside the coops and runs. I am still religious about locking all the pop doors at night, though. Something could theoretically breach my run if given enough time and incentive, but once the doors are locked nothing short of a bear is going to get my birds. And even a bear would still have a tough time.

I hope this helps. Good luck.