Massacre last night... Coop Design Ideas?

[bigstack]

Any predator will return for an easy meal! Be ready!!! I personally use electric. I have an old VERY strong charger! It is the old Weed burner type. It is a constant on no blinking on and off. Just be sure the chickens can't reach through the fence and touch it! I learned this the hard way!! I lost my favorite girl to the one spot in the gate that she could stick her head through. The wire got her right under the chin!

Now I have chicken wire around the bottom of the 2x4 welded wire. I have found several burned frogs and lizards. And yes I have been hit several times! I feel it is worth it to protect my babies!!! I have warned all of the neices and my nephew not to touch it. But even if they do it won't hurt them but it does have a BIG bite! LOL

So sorry for your loss!

Good Luck and God Bless!

 

[EELover]

We are going to be getting an electric fence too but only for the night time I think, along with a very secure chicken door that will be locked at night. My husband is designing a full proof system to keep them safe. Hopefully it won't cost that much. We will have Fort Knox stationed in our backyard to protect them. I am so glad that I have gotten good ideas for coop building because my husband's original idea was sheet metal. Each piece costs $100 each! yikes!

I'm very sorry to hear about your chicken that was lost to the electric fence I will keep that in mind when we build ours.

 

[fourgotten]

Quote:
Absolutely right here... they'll always go for the easy pickin's... predator mentality.

If you decide to go with electric (and do it soon, like today) you might try what my girlfriend's da did when his dog killed one of his chooks - Stand up one of the dead birds near the fence (use a fiberglass or otherwise insulative post) and run a hot line to it from the fence/charger. That should get across to the predator the idea that chickens bite back. Worked wonders for Wolfie... she won't touch a chicken to save her life now.

 

[chkn]

Those cyclone wire dog kennels are reasonably priced and would be a good start. Hubby is doing some good detective work. I would recommend wood screws in place of nails securing plywood since they can be pulled out. Be careful out there, chickens may not be the only thing on the menu.

 

[bibliophile birds]

Quote:
my coop sides (and roof) are left-over metal roofing panels. i know they aren't cheap, but maybe you could find someone nearby who has some they'd sell on the cheap?

i agree with chkn that screws are a much better idea than nails for security.

 

[EELover]

Quote:
We used 3 inch screws and the mountain lion pulled out 16 of them with the plywood. We didn't use nails at all. We just need to use a thicker wall and an electric fence surrounding the perimeter of the run and on the outside wall of the coop. When we are all done nothing will be able to get in.

 

[ducks4you]

Quote:
Chick_In_The_Burbs is referring to Kodiak Bears, which are the northern version of the Grizzly, very fast, ferocious and dangerous to you, too.
Kodiak Bear Fact Sheet
http://www.wc.adfg.state.ak.us/index.cfm?adfg=bears.trivia
Bears of all sorts are very dangerous, no matter where you meet them, but especially if it is a mother bear travelling with her cubs--than all bets are off.
I really like the idea of nails in mats, IMHO. It would certainly help protect your birds against a cougar.

 

[bigstack]

I ran my first wire 4-6 inches from the ground so I can weed eat under it. The I went up about a foot and ran another strand. Finally I ran a line around the top of the fence to prevent them from climbing over. I used 2 ground wires/rods and mine has a ground wire back to the charger. I connected it directly to the welded wire fence. I also used to work for a manufacturer of big truck trailers. I picked up 48 expanded metal panels (diamond shape holes) as scrap 18 inches by 24 inches. I used these to line the fence/brooder edges. The grass has grown up through most of it. I also ran a ground wire to these! They are sure to get a heck of a jolt!!! Especially from my old Weed Burner charger! LOL It puts out a little over 19 volts-constant! (more than 1.5 car batteries) Not sure bout the amps. It hurts I can tell you that! The constant on (my old charger) is why I lost my girl. It grabs ya and it won't let go! That is why they suggest the surging kind. It hits and stops, then hits again and so on.

Good luck and God Bless!

 

[bragabit]

Because it was livestock you can contact your local USDA and find out if you have a government trapper. They specialize in taking care of Lions and bears that are eating livestock.

 

[bigstack]

Quote:
Very good point!!!