Is it even worth it?

[Howard E]

Keeping birds alive is not impossible. I've never lost a bird to a predator.

The reason why birds are lost to predators is the folks who have them are not aware of the extent a person has to go to protect them. No measures, half measures, or reliance upon hopes and prayers are defensive strategies that are ever going to work.

You gotta know your predator roster, know what each is capable of, how they operate, when and why, then put defenses in place to defeat them. Its not rocket surgery, but it is a learning experience.......a journey.

So at this point, it pretty much depends on you. Do you enjoy the birds enough to go to the expense and effort to keep them alive? You can if you really want to.

 

[JurassicBawk]

My first coop build last year was behind my greenhouse, with dog kennel panels (chainlink) connecting around the corner of my 6 foot wooden fence for a huge pen. I put bird netting on the top and worked hard to secure everything on the ground with 1/4 inch hardwire mesh, and still came out one day to a chicken missing a head and 2 quail pulled through their cage and taken. Something had made a hole in the top netting and gotten in, we assume rats since it wasn't big enough to take the chicken's body with it.

I live in a neighborhood and have moved my coop to under my back porch, literally attached to my house. They have a brick back wall, 3 chainlink panels covered in hardwire mesh and netting, and a 5 way locking system to keep anything from opening the door. I still found a rat in their coop a couple weeks ago, that had dug over 2 feet out/down to get in. They killed the rat, but now I'm on high alert again. It seems that no matter what we do, something is always trying to get our pets/animals.

There's no way that I could free range my chickens, as I can regularly see/hear at least 5 barred owls in my yard daily. The four of them have 100 sq feet of room to run around, plus random toys/treats/ladders that get changed out to keep them busy, and a house to go under/in/on top of. I think they're as happy as they can be, and I'd rather they be alive than ever trying to change free ranging. Good luck with yours.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I would look at selecting breeds that are good foragers(free rangers) and excellent at avoiding predators. The Livestock Conservancy has a list compiled here:
https://livestockconservancy.org/images/uploads/docs/chickenbreedcomparison.pdf

Best of luck in your decision making process on either continuing on or not with chickening.

 

[careeka22]

Being in a "neighborhood will not make your predator losses any less than being in a very rural area. Predators are everywhere, and not respectors of fences.

IMO, it's absolutely necessary to have a run that is secure from overhead attack. While it's best to make a run completely predator proof with welded wire, (1/2" required to keep out weasels) that is simply too cost prohibitive for many of us, based on our flock size and run size. So, we do risk assessment and do the best we can with what we have to work with.

I have a chicken wire run, buried skirt, one section with tarp and 2 x 4 welded roof, which is used by them during snow season. The remainder of the run is closed off to them during snow season. In the spring, I will put up bird netting so they can access the whole thing. Chicken wire is definitely not predator proof, but it will slow the predators down, and most predators come around during the night, when my flock is secured in their pred proof coop. At any time except for snow season, I can put up an electric fence around my chicken yard, or even enclose chicken pen and garden, but have not yet done so.

Only you can make the determination regarding how much risk you can accept, what you will do to reduce risk, and whether you are willing to shift your paradigm to continue keeping a flock. The mental image of the idyllic flock happily free ranging a neatly kept yard is more often than not a myth. Such tranquility looks great in the magazines, but predators, fences, chicken poop and dust baths are the harsh reality.

Yeah makes sense, our prior smaller coop had an attached run. We got the new one in Oct but we just never had the time to buy or build a run to the new coop. They have barely been out this winter and just so happened to be 70 out yesterday so I had let them out. I won't be doing it again without supervision or a run, at a min I'll put something around the base of the coop so they can get out. Thanks

 

[careeka22]

My first coop build last year was behind my greenhouse, with dog kennel panels (chainlink) connecting around the corner of my 6 foot wooden fence for a huge pen. I put bird netting on the top and worked hard to secure everything on the ground with 1/4 inch hardwire mesh, and still came out one day to a chicken missing a head and 2 quail pulled through their cage and taken. Something had made a hole in the top netting and gotten in, we assume rats since it wasn't big enough to take the chicken's body with it.

I live in a neighborhood and have moved my coop to under my back porch, literally attached to my house. They have a brick back wall, 3 chainlink panels covered in hardwire mesh and netting, and a 5 way locking system to keep anything from opening the door. I still found a rat in their coop a couple weeks ago, that had dug over 2 feet out/down to get in. They killed the rat, but now I'm on high alert again. It seems that no matter what we do, something is always trying to get our pets/animals.

There's no way that I could free range my chickens, as I can regularly see/hear at least 5 barred owls in my yard daily. The four of them have 100 sq feet of room to run around, plus random toys/treats/ladders that get changed out to keep them busy, and a house to go under/in/on top of. I think they're as happy as they can be, and I'd rather they be alive than ever trying to change free ranging. Good luck with yours.

I'm so sorry for your losses. It's so hard to find that happy medium that keeps them safe and happy. I'm going to have to see what we want to do because we have limited places we can move them and the coop is too heavy to move. (it was brought in on a tow truck). I love having them but just can't handle more loss like that.

 

[Mrs White]

I have totally been there. I lost a whole coop in a week to a raccoon my first year. My friend, and husband, wouldn't let me give up and ten more pullets and five ducks were added. So we fortified the coop, took care of the raccoon problem. I kept them for almost two years before a new round of predators showed up. Not only was there more raccoons, there was also a coyote. In between losing three ducks and eight hens, the predator problem was fixed. I wasn't sure if I wanted to move on, but I persisted. I love birds and wanted to try again. You live and learn, so I traded my two last ducks for a couple of Black Buffs and Rhode Island Reds. Then chick days I picked up two Barred Rocks, two Golden Laced Wyandottes and two Lavander Orpingtons. Will there be death somewhere down the road, I'm sure. Just like there will be self-loathing for something I couldn't prevent? Good possibility, But I'll take it all in stride, because like I said. I love chickens, birds, pretty much anything with feathers! Never give up, learn from your mistakes and it will all work out in the end! Just remember, your never alone here and we all know your pain! And we're all here for you too!!

 

[Abriana]

A covered run or electric fence could completely solve predator issues. You can make the run or buy it, but make sure it is hardware cloth, NOT chicken wire. Chicken wire keeps birds in but predators can reach through the holes or rip thru it. Not sure why it’s called chicken wire.

 

[dunnmom]

We used hardware cloth to entirely enclose all run-space. We also bought animal proof latches that raccoons aren't supposed to be able to get undone. We buried concrete blocks under the entire coop and run perimeter, which has kept digging animals out. Not that they haven't tried. The coop and run are bolted together in a gap-less manner. All of this was pretty costly. We live in a city neighborhood, but hawks, foxes, coons, dogs, cats, opossums, we've seen it all stalking our girls. It's been worth it because we don't want to lose any more, and we didn't feel safe running electricity to the back of the property. Our old house's wiring can't handle much of a workload.

 

[careeka22]

I have totally been there. I lost a whole coop in a week to a raccoon my first year. My friend, and husband, wouldn't let me give up and ten more pullets and five ducks were added. So we fortified the coop, took care of the raccoon problem. I kept them for almost two years before a new round of predators showed up. Not only was there more raccoons, there was also a coyote. In between losing three ducks and eight hens, the predator problem was fixed. I wasn't sure if I wanted to move on, but I persisted. I love birds and wanted to try again. You live and learn, so I traded my two last ducks for a couple of Black Buffs and Rhode Island Reds. Then chick days I picked up two Barred Rocks, two Golden Laced Wyandottes and two Lavander Orpingtons. Will there be death somewhere down the road, I'm sure. Just like there will be self-loathing for something I couldn't prevent? Good possibility, But I'll take it all in stride, because like I said. I love chickens, birds, pretty much anything with feathers! Never give up, learn from your mistakes and it will all work out in the end! Just remember, your never alone here and we all know your pain! And we're all here for you too!!

Thank you so much and I'm sorry for your losses as well! I don't think I want to give up and my husband is still just hurting. He gets very attached to them and he named her. We spent $1000 on the coop so we aren't afraid to do what it takes to keep them safe and I feel like a failure for not being able to do so. We just hadn't had the time to build a safe pen. (we have 4 kids under 6 and work FT). But that will be a priority now.

 

[chickenmeadow]

Here is the coop we got them, we lost the tan one. I can build a fence around the coop and in the area right in front of it.

Cute coop, they will really enjoy a top & sides secure yard attached to the coop so they can get outside anytime to stretch & get fresh air.

We live in a forested area & have sky & land predators day & night, have stray dogs occasionally. I tried free ranging & had to call them in right away because of one of the birds of prey flew overhead close & I too do not want to loose any of my little feathered friends. My coop run has hot wire around so we don't have anymore bear devastation like 2 yrs ago. Nature is beautiful, but harsh on domestic living sometimes. Hope you find your happy medium solution. Best wishes