need help constructing predator protection

[OldGuy43]

I have had critters chew or tear through various types of fencing / caging materials but such events are relatively rare. If a dog is even tied nearby, the typical predator will not invest time in getting through material.

Rarer than an electric fence starting a fire and burning your coop down?

 

[centrarchid]

Rarer than an electric fence starting a fire and burning your coop down?

I am not in practice of using hot-wire around structures. Fire risk is not a factor in that descission. I do not like getting shocked every time my mind wanders while doing chores. Dog also serves same purpose as electric fencing. My hot-wires are restricted to perimeter fencing and around ponds.

 

[OldGuy43]

Sorry, my bad.

I was thinking of 7L Farms and his tirade against electric fences.

Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa.

 

[7L Farm]

Sorry, my bad.

I was thinking of 7L Farms and his tirade against electric fences.

Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa.

I'm not against hot wire I just perfer not to use it. One of my coops has hot wire & I've noticed things caught in it are slightly burned. I would hate to see my animals burned up. Will that ever happen I hope not. I'm not for certain about anything even life there's no guarantees. I like using hardware cloth on all my coops if yall like chicken wire have at it there your animals.
I've never seen a rat eat through concrete or even wire . If I ever see this I'll let yall know.

 

[ceeceerod]

i am going to: keep it closer to the house, use hardware cloth, and build an apron around the coop. it can only hold 3 chickens so i think i can handle the job. i live on long island so i dont have alot of space and we can only keep 6 chickens at a time. but i am backed up to wetlands so alot of wild animals live just outside my back fence that's why i am so concerned. thanks for all the info. keep it coming!

 

[Nslangton]

Chicken wire will not keep anything out!!! and almost any predator will dig under a run in minutes. We are just building our run now and I will post pictures soon. We also are using 1/2" heavy duty hardware cloth. We dug a 2 foot trench around the perimeter in order to bury the chicken wire under the ground. Will back fill the trench with at least 1' of large river rock and then back fill with dirt. We have every chicken predator known to man around here and I still have terrible memories of losing several childhood flocks to predators. I also continually read horror stories on this site that make me want to build as strong of a coop as possible. Will post pictures when it stops pouring outside.

Pictures of the trenches. Run is situated between a walkway, paved driveway, and barn. Hardware cloth will be in the ground about 2 feet.