Hello all,
I am blessed to be moving to the country in Sierra Nevada Mountains near Yosemite National Park. We'll have 2 1/2 acres of meadow & woods. I am thrilled beyond words but I've been reading about predators and now I'm freaked out. My three girls are my pets as well as my egg supply.
We are able to move slowly as our current home is still on the market. My hubby thinks what I am insisting on for coop security is overkill. I'm afraid it isn't enough. Please advise.
The predators I know of in our new home's area are: coyotes, skunk, possums, hawks. owls, rattlesnakes, neighbor dogs & cats and who knows what else... (are gophers chicken predators?)
We have bought a chain link dog run kit. This will contain the coop & the run. We've begun by digging a trench in a 10' x 10' area and placed 1/2"hardware cloth about a 1' to 1 1/2' deep and folding the remaining wire inward. I wanted it placed outward but my husband argued if we are also putting 1/2" hardware cloth completely covering the floor or run and overlapping the floor cloth with the inward skirt cloth all will be safe from "digging" predators. I'm insisting on wiring them together where they overlap. We are also putting 8" cement block in the trench only partly buried and filled with builder's sand. I will then place dirt/sand over the top of the hardware cloth and pine shavings for the scratching and busy chicken's delight.
The run will placed on the block and staked into the block centers to hold it in place and for security. The bottom of the chain link will also be reinforced with 1/2" hardware cloth to keep raccoons from reaching in to grab my girls. Over the top, I'm insisting on shade cloth and at least 1" hardware cloth.
I have a 4x6 "A" frame coop which will be placed on 12"square stepping/patio stones with pine shavings,etc. inside the run. The pop door raises and lowers from the top of the "A" frame to the floor and is secured with bolts underneath at night when it's raised. There are gaps around the pop door but again this will inside the secured run. I do have air vents at the apex of the A frame covered with 1/2 hardware cloth and little doors that raise and lower over the vents according to weather. The little run underneath and part of the "A" frame run is secured with the same hardware cloth with two doors that open outward to the 10x10 run. These doors are secured with hooks that have a spring latch and the egg door and front doors for cleaning purposes are secured with slide bolts and carabiners. Their food and water reside inside the small run. (This photo is from our current yard and does not picture the new 10x10 run we are building at the new home)
I plan to put in a few roosts in the 10x10 covered run where they will be during the day but I haven't figured out how to do it yet. I may put a small stump or two away from the sides of the chain link.
Any and all advice is welcome. These aren't just barnyard chickens raised for eggs or fryers. These are my girls, my pets, my babies,etc., and I really want to protect them. It would break my heart if something happened to them.
They will be situated close enough to our bedroom that I could hear a ruckus at night. I also want to use the red predator preventer eyes and a motion detecting flood light. The final "protection/prevention" is another dog run will be placed for our german shepherd/lab mix behind the girls run. However, he will only be in it when we aren't at home, he sleeps inside at night. I'm hoping the dog smell will provide some prevention. What else might I need?
Appreciate any help. Thanks,
Donna
I am blessed to be moving to the country in Sierra Nevada Mountains near Yosemite National Park. We'll have 2 1/2 acres of meadow & woods. I am thrilled beyond words but I've been reading about predators and now I'm freaked out. My three girls are my pets as well as my egg supply.
We are able to move slowly as our current home is still on the market. My hubby thinks what I am insisting on for coop security is overkill. I'm afraid it isn't enough. Please advise.
The predators I know of in our new home's area are: coyotes, skunk, possums, hawks. owls, rattlesnakes, neighbor dogs & cats and who knows what else... (are gophers chicken predators?)
We have bought a chain link dog run kit. This will contain the coop & the run. We've begun by digging a trench in a 10' x 10' area and placed 1/2"hardware cloth about a 1' to 1 1/2' deep and folding the remaining wire inward. I wanted it placed outward but my husband argued if we are also putting 1/2" hardware cloth completely covering the floor or run and overlapping the floor cloth with the inward skirt cloth all will be safe from "digging" predators. I'm insisting on wiring them together where they overlap. We are also putting 8" cement block in the trench only partly buried and filled with builder's sand. I will then place dirt/sand over the top of the hardware cloth and pine shavings for the scratching and busy chicken's delight.
The run will placed on the block and staked into the block centers to hold it in place and for security. The bottom of the chain link will also be reinforced with 1/2" hardware cloth to keep raccoons from reaching in to grab my girls. Over the top, I'm insisting on shade cloth and at least 1" hardware cloth.
I have a 4x6 "A" frame coop which will be placed on 12"square stepping/patio stones with pine shavings,etc. inside the run. The pop door raises and lowers from the top of the "A" frame to the floor and is secured with bolts underneath at night when it's raised. There are gaps around the pop door but again this will inside the secured run. I do have air vents at the apex of the A frame covered with 1/2 hardware cloth and little doors that raise and lower over the vents according to weather. The little run underneath and part of the "A" frame run is secured with the same hardware cloth with two doors that open outward to the 10x10 run. These doors are secured with hooks that have a spring latch and the egg door and front doors for cleaning purposes are secured with slide bolts and carabiners. Their food and water reside inside the small run. (This photo is from our current yard and does not picture the new 10x10 run we are building at the new home)
I plan to put in a few roosts in the 10x10 covered run where they will be during the day but I haven't figured out how to do it yet. I may put a small stump or two away from the sides of the chain link.
Any and all advice is welcome. These aren't just barnyard chickens raised for eggs or fryers. These are my girls, my pets, my babies,etc., and I really want to protect them. It would break my heart if something happened to them.
They will be situated close enough to our bedroom that I could hear a ruckus at night. I also want to use the red predator preventer eyes and a motion detecting flood light. The final "protection/prevention" is another dog run will be placed for our german shepherd/lab mix behind the girls run. However, he will only be in it when we aren't at home, he sleeps inside at night. I'm hoping the dog smell will provide some prevention. What else might I need?
Appreciate any help. Thanks,
Donna
