If you build it will they come?

[chicks47]

My husband and I are in endless discussion of building our coop. I am striving for more security the better. My husband insists we don't have the predators around here like other places. We know there are coyotes around. However the big question is the raccoons. We have never seen a raccoon around our house in the past 8 years we lived here. We have not had rats, we have seen a few mice, one possom etc. I have read somewhere that the predators will find the chickens eventually. I am wondering how true that is. Once our flock is out, maybe it will take a year, but will the coons start coming around?
We are trying to build a coop that is mobile to move locations in winter vs. summer and deciding the best way to secure it. Namely the run. Digging fencing below the ground looses the mobility. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. We have 5 chicks, this is our first time. They are about 3 weeks old now. Thank you

 

[FireTigeris]

A friend used to have a mobile coop- the base was set in one of two places The area for the roost was carried over to the other base and set onto it, the hasp locks were used to secure the roost part to one of the permanent bases. The bases had dug in wire and had the 'door/ramp' part of the coop all the rest of the cop moved- they did not have a run, they had umbrellas with CD's sown on them opend up leading against the coop as a hawk deterrent, watershed, snowshed, shade.

(they lived in NC near Hickory?)

I teased them about it- the winter base was used as the BBQ pit area in the summer- the charcoal reduced smell when they had to stay cooped and limited bugs (the charcoal fell through the great where the birds couldn't get it)

I wish they still lived there so I could get plans for it now...

As I recall the base was a 2*6 frame in a 8-10 foot square hardware cloth was stapled to the inside of the frame and went into the ground ?? inches into a gravel bed (entire underside of coop too) then the bottom was electrified at night after everyone was shut in, the electric turned off and the coop door opened with a garage remote of some type- it was chicken heaven.

The coop was modular, each wall was bolted to the upper frame separately so they could dismantle and move it- the winter location faced E/W in full sun for 2/3 of the day, the summer location was under a magnolia tree, facing N/S never in partial sun for less then 1/3 of the day. The winter section had a 'floor' instead of just wire I think it was plastic, foam insulation, and another piece of plastic but I'm not sure.

I used to think they were crazy for all that trouble...

Had I only known.