Its time to start the coop

[NY Coturnix]

okay I'm building a hoop coop. Have pullets coming first week of May and will brood them inside and then would like to move them to an enclosure outside around 4 weeks and then to the pen once they're all feathered.

I'm doing a 24 x 8 foot cattle panel hoop coop and plan to cover the cattle panel with a poultry wire. I'll make sure to do the same around the outside and bury it to protect from something digging under. I keep going back and forth over if the poultry wire will be enough protection. We do have coyote in our area of central NY but I would think the cattle panel would keep them out. My worry is will that wrapped in poultry wife be enough to stop a raccoon. I have coturnix quail in pens that will be on the other side of my house that I use 1/2 hardware wire and nothing has gotten near them. Would using 1/2 wire be overkill for a turkey pen. If it weren't for the cost I'd just do it but does anyone think I should go with something heavier than the poultry wire? Could I use 1/2 around the bottom and then poultry say from 3 foot up or would that be a waste of time as well?

Looking for some advise or experience others have had.

thanks

 

[R2elk]

okay I'm building a hoop coop. Have pullets coming first week of May and will brood them inside and then would like to move them to an enclosure outside around 4 weeks and then to the pen once they're all feathered.

I'm doing a 24 x 8 foot cattle panel hoop coop and plan to cover the cattle panel with a poultry wire. I'll make sure to do the same around the outside and bury it to protect from something digging under. I keep going back and forth over if the poultry wire will be enough protection. We do have coyote in our area of central NY but I would think the cattle panel would keep them out. My worry is will that wrapped in poultry wife be enough to stop a raccoon. I have coturnix quail in pens that will be on the other side of my house that I use 1/2 hardware wire and nothing has gotten near them. Would using 1/2 wire be overkill for a turkey pen. If it weren't for the cost I'd just do it but does anyone think I should go with something heavier than the poultry wire? Could I use 1/2 around the bottom and then poultry say from 3 foot up or would that be a waste of time as well?

Looking for some advice or experience others have had.

thanks

Since this is in the Turkeys forum, I assume that you mean that you have turkey poults coming. There is no such thing as pullets when referring to turkeys.

They will be fully feathered by the time they are 4 weeks old. Your ambient temperatures will determine whether or not they are ready to be off of supplemental heat by then.

You can check in the Predators and Pests forum for many testimonials that poultry wire won't stop predators, especially raccoons.

For poults and juvenile turkeys, hardware cloth is a good idea. I do not like using poultry wire for adult turkeys because it can cut them when they are rubbing their heads on it. I particular, having two toms separated by poultry wire can lead to hours of fighting and even cause snoods to get cut off.

Good luck.

 

[NY Coturnix]

Yes turkey sorry about that. I've seen the warnings about poultry wire but wasn't sure if it was over the cattle panel it would do the job. Probably should just go with the heavier wire to be safe.

Thanks

 

[Molpet]

Along with coons and such tearing the chicken wire up, weasels can go right through it.
I have only seen one live weasel here in 60 +years but the dog and cat kill them. One even got hit on the road infront of my driveway last year.... and weasels can climb

 

[NY Coturnix]

Good point