Lost our whole flock...try again?

[emily_witthuhn]

Welcome!
I'm so sorry for your losses, it is awful! Many of us have learned this way, including me. Yes, upgrade your coop and run, and start over when it's all fixed.
A roofed run is best, built for your snow load, so your birds will want to be outside is rain and snow and ice. Now is a good time to do that!
That hardware cloth needs to be better attached everywhere! Here we overlapped it, used fencing staples into the framing, then 2"x 4" woven wire over the lower 4', and 1'x 4' boards screwed in over it all. Thin about raccoons and big dogs, and serious power!
Upgrade your locks; raccoons are strong and smart, and can open so many things!
At least one big window, with hardware cloth, into the coop, so it's not so dark.
Chickens are on everyone's menu, and it's impossible to overbuild.
Mary

Thank you! these are VERY helpful! i'm thinking autolocking carabiners on our latches. About the coop window, I thought the idea was to have a dark coop, since they just stay in there for sleeping and laying. We definitely have some higher up windows for ventilation, but I wasn't aware of the lighting issue. A friend is giving us more rolls of woven wire, so we will use that to reinforce the bottom few feet and extend the skirt farther out.

 

[emily_witthuhn]

Another place where predators can get in (besides the run roof which obviously needs upgrading) is by digging underneath the run or coop. Basically, the hardware cloth around both needs to be buried or at least skirted to deter digging by predators.

The coop and run are so close to the woods that I think they also need some electric fencing, as Mary has suggested.

ours is skirted about 18 inches out from the bottom of the run and coop. Does that seem like far enough? we're getting more woven wire fencing to reinforce the bottom few feet of the wall, and we may use that to extend the skirt, too.

 

[Howard E]

You didn't say the nature of how the birds were killed....bite marks, etc. But for every bird killed by a weasel, hundreds and hundreds are killed by coons. More information would help clarify.

Most folks don't realize it, but a solid covered roof.....one that enables enclosure on all four sides, plus the roof, creates a secure 3D cube of protection. Many folks have done as you have done only to find out all kinds of stuff can get in from above....and that includes hawks and owls. Our neighbors down the road have a setup similar to yours, except they have a solid roof and their run is chain link fence with chicken wire over that to keep the wild birds out. Yours would be as good.

To frame the solid roof, put 2'x 4's on edge (narrow side up and down) about 2' feet apart (on center), then lay 2 x 4's or 1 x 4's flat over those....about 4 feet apart. Fill in any gaps at top of sides with solid blocking and it should be completely secure.

Solid roof could be tin like roof on coop, or if you can find it, opaque skylight material (won't be as hot in summer). But do not use clear.....you want to leave them shade. In winter, angle of sun will drop and will fill in below the roof.

With a solid roof, you should not need to add electric fence up top. Would do no harm if you did, but may not help that much if it's already bomb proof. Would be essential without a solid roof.

With the right setup, you can raise chickens anywhere. But it takes some time for most folks to realize the lengths you have to go to to achieve the right setup. When starting out, what seems like it should be good enough often isn't.

 

[emily_witthuhn]

You didn't say the nature of how the birds were killed....bite marks, etc. But for every bird killed by a weasel, hundreds and hundreds are killed by coons. More information would help clarify.

Most folks don't realize it, but a solid covered roof.....one that enables enclosure on all four sides, plus the roof, creates a secure 3D cube of protection. Many folks have done as you have done only to find out all kinds of stuff can get in from above....and that includes hawks and owls. Our neighbors down the road have a setup similar to yours, except they have a solid roof and their run is chain link fence with chicken wire over that to keep the wild birds out. Yours would be as good.

To frame the solid roof, put 2'x 4's on edge (narrow side up and down) about 2' feet apart (on center), then lay 2 x 4's or 1 x 4's flat over those....about 4 feet apart. Fill in any gaps at top of sides with solid blocking and it should be completely secure.

Solid roof could be tin like roof on coop, or if you can find it, opaque skylight material (won't be as hot in summer). But do not use clear.....you want to leave them shade. In winter, angle of sun will drop and will fill in below the roof.

With a solid roof, you should not need to add electric fence up top. Would do no harm if you did, but may not help that much if it's already bomb proof. Would be essential without a solid roof.

With the right setup, you can raise chickens anywhere. But it takes some time for most folks to realize the lengths you have to go to to achieve the right setup. When starting out, what seems like it should be good enough often isn't.

It could have been a raccoon, we definitely have plenty of them around here. When I found our birds, two of them were torn up and mostly eaten, and the rest were killed with bite marks on the neck/head or gashes on the stomach, and a few of their heads were missing. They were all pullets, fully feathered around 5 weeks old.

What you're saying about the roof makes a lot of sense. It would take a little work to run power out there for a hot wire, but wouldn't impossible. We definitely have enough material for a roof, though. I've also begun cutting away more of a clearing between the coop and the eaves of the woods.

 

[Franklinridgefarms]

It could have been a raccoon, we definitely have plenty of them around here. When I found our birds, two of them were torn up and mostly eaten, and the rest were killed with bite marks on the neck/head or gashes on the stomach, and a few of their heads were missing. They were all pullets, fully feathered around 5 weeks old.

What you're saying about the roof makes a lot of sense. It would take a little work to run power out there for a hot wire, but wouldn't impossible. We definitely have enough material for a roof, though. I've also begun cutting away more of a clearing between the coop and the eaves of the woods.

A raccoon is the usual suspect here when it comes to getting in the run and coop if the door isn’t closed. If considering using electric fencing, solar powered chargers work good.

 

[Howard E]

Kill pattern suggests coons (several) did that. Typical this time of year with momma teaching this year's kits to hunt.

If you decide you want to try an electric fence, and don't have house current nearby, electric fencer can always run on batteries or even solar. Couple strands of hot wire around the top of what you already have will ruin their day.

Long term, solid roof is best, but in the short run...........

 

[cmom]

My fence charger is AC but when we had a hurricane a few years ago. I hooked up a battery with an inverter and kept the electric wires around the coops on. I also have nightlights in my coops, they only draw 1 watt each. For the week we were without power it worked. My pens are covered with netting because they are so large. I do think the electric wires around the coops and pens keep the predators out and I leave the pop doors open in the coops 24/7. I'm lucky, so far nothing has gotten past the electric wire. Good luck...

 

[Yep I Talk To Chickens]

I would try agian I lost my flock to a mink and lost another again tbe next year to tje same problem and this year to a fox. The mink I had dug into the coop. It was fully in closed for night but didnt have a floor so he dug through.

 

[cmom]

I would try agian I lost my flock to a mink and lost another again tbe next year to tje same problem and this year to a fox. The mink I had dug into the coop. It was fully in closed for night but didnt have a floor so he dug through.

 

[Homesteadermomma6382]

I lost my entire first flock to a weasel. Mourned for a bit and then built a better coop. I think most of us have made mistakes our first time around. I still lose some every now and again. I live next to the woods so we have fox. Each time I get a little smarter.