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I plan on building a 2x4 frame that would both hold the nest boxes in place, and give me the ability to add another tier later... I can probably ad a lip to the design... as far as predators go, I am not that concerned... fox and raccoons give the area around the houses( mine, my parent's, and my sister's) a wide berth, having learned years ago that the dogs and especially the cats here(both barncats and household pets) are both willing and capable of dispatching them( it is something to see a 15 lb cat munching on a raccoon as big as it is)... the trees in the grove that we fenced off for them provide some protection from hawks, and our chickens do the ninja vanish thing at the first sign of aerial predators.... and as far as weasles and rats, which were my biggest concern last fall, when we first put them outside(in a coop that was dismally unsecured), we got lucky with birds that view both as a tasty snack(some of the larger rats managed to get out of the coop prior to expiring from their wounds last winter, and twice I found pieces of weasels in the coop when I went out to feed and water the birds )... my biggest concern are the stray dogs that sometimes wander down our road... we lost one hen last Oct to a dog... but the fencing should stop all but the most determined canines, and my 20ga will handle them...
I plan on building a 2x4 frame that would both hold the nest boxes in place, and give me the ability to add another tier later... I can probably ad a lip to the design... as far as predators go, I am not that concerned... fox and raccoons give the area around the houses( mine, my parent's, and my sister's) a wide berth, having learned years ago that the dogs and especially the cats here(both barncats and household pets) are both willing and capable of dispatching them( it is something to see a 15 lb cat munching on a raccoon as big as it is)... the trees in the grove that we fenced off for them provide some protection from hawks, and our chickens do the ninja vanish thing at the first sign of aerial predators.... and as far as weasles and rats, which were my biggest concern last fall, when we first put them outside(in a coop that was dismally unsecured), we got lucky with birds that view both as a tasty snack(some of the larger rats managed to get out of the coop prior to expiring from their wounds last winter, and twice I found pieces of weasels in the coop when I went out to feed and water the birds )... my biggest concern are the stray dogs that sometimes wander down our road... we lost one hen last Oct to a dog... but the fencing should stop all but the most determined canines, and my 20ga will handle them...
