I'm working on prediator proofing my coop. Can anyone help?

[Scooter&Suzie]

I lost two of my chickens to what I believe is a raccoon last summer. A couple nights ago my dad was taking out our dog and saw a figure about the size of a raccoon run away from my coop. For Christmas I got a Nite Guard*, so I have that, but it only works for one side of the coop. It is pointing out into the woods, where the raccoons are most likely to come from. I plan on adding some hasp latches to my doors, with old dog clips (the kind on a leash you use to attach it to the dogs collar) to keep them shut. I may also use some other clips, that would be hard for a raccoon to open.

What I am going to do, is tell you both what I am planing on adding, and what I already have:

HAVE:
-Nite Guard on nesting box side pointing into woods
-Barrel latch on door leading to run
-Barrel latch on door leading outside
-Two barrel latches on big door used to clean out coop
-Hasp latch and a clip on nesting box, along with a fitted wood covering to protect the nesting box lid to any predators that might scratch or bite it
-Chicken wire run, semi-rusty though. Raccoon could prob. get in there. Has a Hasp latch along with a clip to the run door.

ADDING:
-Nite Guard to some other sides? (I need help to figure how many to get, and where I should put them all)
-Hasp latch and clip on door leading to run
-Hasp latch and clip on door leading outside
-One or two hasp latches with clip(s) on big door used to clean out coop
-Possibly a electric fence, or the similar, around my coop+run

I would like you guys to tell me if there is anything wrong with this, and what it is, and also what else I could do to improve. Any ideas you like please tell me. I don't have a lot of money to use, just what money I can gather from Christmas, and such, and from my baby sitting jobs.


*A Nite Guard is a box that flashes a red light all night long, which can scare predators away from up to 1/4 a mile away.

Note: I have another coop, that I am not using yet, but I am going to put close to my other coop. I would like to figure how to use the night guards the best way.


Here is a picture for you to get a feel of what my coop looks like:

(There aren't as many chickens any more as in the picture, don't worry.

 

[Scooter&Suzie]

Does anyone have any clue if this works? Or did this just get lost in the sea of questions?

 

[CarolJ]

I would suggest replacing the chicken wire with hardware cloth. From everything I've read, the chicken wire just keeps the chickens in - it doesn't keep predators out. I lost my araucana rooster to a hawk a few weeks ago. We're in the process of making our run predator proof. It's a lot of work! But totally worth it if it'll keep the chickens protected.

 

[Scooter&Suzie]

BTW My run is pretty much just to keep in the chickens, I shut up the door every night, so if a raccoon gets into the run he still has a door to open.

 

[leonphelps]

you run looks way small for the number of birds you have.

it looks like a raccoon could easily pull the wood apart from the run and the coop.

I use one nightgard. moving it around every week or so would help too.


I would try to get everything up off of the ground. It will make it easier to clean and make predators need to do more work to get in. fence poles would be an easy fix.

 

[Gargoyle]

Scooter&Suzie :

BTW My run is pretty much just to keep in the chickens, I shut up the door every night, so if a raccoon gets into the run he still has a door to open.

Once he's in the run, he has all night to work on cutting through the wood to get into the coop. I'd wrap everything in hardware cloth, both the run and the three exposed sides of the coop. (unless the exposed sides are at least 1/2" thick wood).

I've seen raccoons poking around in the daytime, when they get hungry they won't be strictly night hunters.​

 

[animalpro24]

I would put mesh wire on the bottom of it, and maybe redo the door and put a stronger lock on it.

-I agree with Leonphelps, that run and coop is WAY to small for all those chickens.

 

[christineavatar]

I use the Nite Guard in all four directions. Raccoons are very persistent. I have vines that grow around here and one of them had a leaf cover the Nite Guard light and DANG if one of the chickens weren't injured by a 'coon. I strongly recommend all four directions.

 

[moetrout]

Trap and a gun. Nothing can deter a coon faster than hot lead! We've got coons thick here this year. More signs of them than I have ever seen before.

 

[littleflocker]

Quote:
X2 on replacing all of the chicken wire with hardware cloth EVEN THE TOP. A coon would jump up on that run and reach down in easily.