Lost my last chicken yesterday. Guess i need advice...

[JInSouthMS]

this is not what i wanted my first post to be.
I have a 16 x 16 kennel wire pen with the top fenced over. the bottom is attached to 1 foot chicken wire flat and burried. something found a week spot, dug under, and left nothing but feathers. what should i do to better secure the bottom?

 

[toredano]

first off... get rid of the chickenwire.. its useless and cheap. Its designed to keep chickens in and nothing out.

Invest in hard ware cloth or something similar. Bury the wire a bit and maybe put some cinderblocks around the bottom to prevent digging.
You can also hotwire the perimeter around the bottom .It will get zapped if anything is trying to get thru. what i mean by that is use a sloar powered electric fencing unit..but dont attach it to the kennel.. use stakes or attach the wire with plastic fencepost thingys..

I cant explain it atm.. on heavy meds and cant thing clearly..lol

 

[calicokat]

Actually, I got your explanation just fine, does that mean I'm loopy too?? LOL! You have a great idea that I will have to try for my run - never thought of solar powered!

 

[JInSouthMS]

thanks for the replies. my wife thinks it will just dig under cinder blocks.

and what predator digs and only leaves feathers? dog?

 

[texascowboy1979]

Electric Wire run on the bottom on the outsie... Turn the chicken fence into "Jurassic Park" and shock the living daylights out of the predator...

 

[mdbokc]

Electric fence, electric fence. We breathe a lot easier since installation. Not that something can't still happen but noctural visits by predators seem to thave ceased completely. And contact with an adult will make one yell, cuss and shout some more.

 

[jenjscott]

While I will agree that hardware cloth is better, I have successfully used the 1 inch chick wire. I always bring it out at least 18 inches and hogring it to the fencing. With two ft chick wire that gives me another 6 inches to lap up the fence. Corners and gates tend to be the week spots and always need lapping. If your gate opens in, as it should, you can run the chicken wire right across the opening. You have to step over it, but it has kept "run bys" from escaping on numerous occasions, and helps to close the largest gap in the fence- the corner of the gate.Sometimes if the gap there is large enough, I drive a stake there and leave it sticking out about 6 inches above ground to close that gap.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

A 1 foot "apron" is too narrow

I use 2 X 4 welded wire. If you make it 2-3 ft wide it will work.
Attach it to your run and let it lay flat on the ground. Throw a little dirt on top so grass will grow up through it

 

[outnumbered by birds]

I agree, the apron idea is very good. If you combine this with the electric fence you should be good to go. There are a number of predators that it could be. Local dogs are the most common, but how big is the hole and where do you live? We are in a rual area and have the typical coyotes, weasels, foxes, possums, feral cats etc. I have had good luck with keeping the dogs out at night to chase anything off. I also lock everyone up tightly in the coop with an electric net fence around it. So far so good. I think the key is multiple lines of defense. A few loud geese help too! (but check with the neighbors first!)

 

[Bizzybirdy]

A RACOON will dig under or go over a fence and leave just feathers. Was this kill at night or during the day?

I hope you have a coop to close your chickens up in at night. Just a pen will not protect them...but a hot wire or two will help.