need help closing up rafter area

[Cluckatar]

We're getting to our final stages on the coop. And I'm seeing a big problem

The way we've built the raftered roof leaves open areas which we're in the process of screening over. Because of all the angles, it's proving tough to get a good fit with the screening we have. In addition, I'm now worried that the wire screen is not enough to deter a raccoon. There are three of these spaces on the high and low ends of the shed roof. Any ideas for a better way to close them up? We really want to keep airflow through there for ventilation and light. But we want our young hens to be safe. I'm especially worried about the week we'll be away in the summer and have a chicken sitter. The local wildlife becomes muuuuch more bold when we're not home over night. We've had raccoons roll the dog's food bin off the front porch, through the yard and down to the creek, although they were foiled... couldn't get it through the fence and couldn't get it open

Thanks!

 

[patandchickens]

Seems to me the simplest and probably strongest thing would be to add (securely attached) 2x2s or 2x3s between the bottom corners of the rafter tails, to frame a solid line all the way across, then attach a single piece of hardwarecloth that wraps all the way around the bottoms and ends of the rafter tails. Rather than trying to close up each between-rafter space individually. Did that make any sense, the way it came out?

You might want to add some of the same material right under the roof plywood, between the studs, too, to give you something STRONG to secure the top edge of the hardwarecloth into (I suspect that would be one of the first places that raccoons would try to pry loose).

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Cluckatar]

I'm going back and forth between thinking I'm a crazy person, and clearly wire screen is good enough on such a small space.... and then back to thinking all my chickens are gunna die.

I need an experienced chicken person to talk me down

 

[mechagrue]

On the one hand, when I look at the pics I think "Well as long as they don't invent flying raccoons, it should be fine." On the other hand, I have learned through hard experience that if you have a bad feeling about a design element - trust your gut!

Could you cut off the bits of the rafters that are sticking out, then fasten one length of hardware cloth along the entire gap?

By the way I have found that the best way to fasten hardware cloth is NOT with staples. Instead, lay down a length of scrap wood, then sink screws through the scrap wood, through the hardware cloth, and into the wood beneath. I think these are called "battens" but I'm not sure.

As long as the screen is securely fastened on all four sides, it's okay if there are gaps. You don't mention what you're using as a screen material, but hardware cloth is the way to go! (The kind made of metal, not PVC.) It's expensive, but worth every penny if you ask your chickens.

 

[Cluckatar]

I think I understood you Pat

I went out and looked at it again... and I'm wondering if I should do that on the INSIDE of the coop instead of trying to fix it outside. The reason I went with exterior screen was to keep wasps out (we had a big problem around the house with european paper wasps last year and I could just see them moving right into my new coop). I don't think the rest of the coop is nearly tight enough to keep them out though.

But what if I leave the screen on the outside, and then use something like what you're describing to block the interior side of those rafters. If I cut six 2x3's that filled up more than 2/3rds of the space I could attach those in each rafter space. Air would still flow around them in the inch or so around the edges, but no raccoon could fit through there, correct?

 

[scooter147]

I had the exact same design on a previous coop and I just used U staples and tacked it down on the 2x4's, bottom 2x4 and roof.
DO NOT DO THIS, I had happen exactly what you fear, I opened the coop one morning and found 6 dead chickens. A coon ripped it open, I couldn't believe they were able to ripped the staples out all the while hanging onto the side of the coop but by golly they did, I had dead chickens to prove it.
Follow the advice of the other two posts and staple the hardware cloth and screw scrap wood over the hardward cloth.

 

[Cluckatar]

You know how you have those "gut" moments? I looked at the house a different way when I realized, oh those flowers against the roof... those are from the Buckeye tree. Which means the tree branches are overhanging the chicken house, which means..... ooops. Shade from tree is good, highway for raccoons to the roof of my chicken house... not so good

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
Well, good garden 'o peas, of course your crazy, or you wouldn't be here. I can't explain how to do it but you'll fiqure it out. It's what we do. Just gotta sleep on it for a day or to. It'll hit you in the middle of the night. That's what happens to me.

 

[cmjust0]

I've got the same situation in the coop I'm building. I could have walled it off, but I didn't because I'm going to use the rafter spaces for ventilation.

What I did -- just last night, in fact -- was cut lumber to fit longways between the rafters, and nailed it up to where the outside of the new 'blocking' board is 23" from the interior wall. Tonight, I'll be running 24" chicken wire along ceiling from the interior wall out to the blocking boards, tacking it in place with roofing nails. When that's done, I'll be nailing 2x2 boards over the wire into the rafters and blockers, to hold it securely in place.

Coons may be able to get inside that little box up there, but that should be it. In fact, I'm considering placing snares around the outside openings to catch a few.

 

[patandchickens]

Absolutely raccoons can get there, they just have to get up onto the roof via the (pretty!) tree. Even without the tree I'd be leery of omitting to predatorproof those vents though, because possums and smaller raccoons are really pretty amazing climbers...

Windowscreen won't keep anything except flies/wasps out, you need hardwarecloth. Yes, by all means screw with fender washers, or screw through battens. Into good sound wood of a reasonable thickness. I would not play staple roulette when the raccoons can get so CLOSE to the chickens and thus so motivated.

I think it could be done more securely and strongly from the outside, as I describe (having it be all 1 continuous piece of material really adds to the strength)... but of course you can try doing it from inside if you want. However I would not suggest blocking up 2/3 of the opening with wood, as you're suggesting... unless there are LARGE predatorproofed openings (aside from popdoor) on the sides of the coop not visible in the pics, you're gonna need all the ventilation you can get.

Also, remember possums and baby racoons can go through really surprisingly small spaces.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat