New member from North Carolina.

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MikeS53

In the Brooder
Jun 18, 2022
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I discovered this site many years ago, decided to get a few chickens recently and join the fun.
Although I helped my Father with his chickens long ago, I would like to learn more specifics about them in order to be a responsible owner.
We live on a tree farm and have a garden. I am looking forward to the availability of chicken fertilizer and calcium from the egg shells for our plants.
Since we live in a forest, I am interested in learning to protect the flock from predators, from the air as well as land. Hawks, owls, coyotes, skunks, raccoons, snakes, we have them all and more! The hen house is going to have to be modeled after Fort Knox!
I appreciate having such a rich source of information and will be searching for answers to all the questions that are bound to arise as I begin my journey into the land of cock-a-doodle-doos!
 
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Hello Mike, and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
MikeS53 said:
calcium from the egg shells for our plants
Click to expand...
What?! You don't plan to feed them back to the chickens?

The only true protection for aerial predation is to remain in a completely covered predator proof run.

The set up that has worked very well for me is the following:
A large run with a solid roof, predator apron and enclosed with 1/2" hardware cloth attached to the predator proof coop with all openings covered with 1/2" hardware cloth. No opening into the coop/run larger than 1/2".
This structure sits inside a 1/3 acre penned in area surrounded with 42" high poultry netting charged with a 10,000 volt charger.
The pen has a very large old style quince shrub and several newer planting arrangements which offer shelter from aerial threats.
I also run at least 2 roosters in the flock for predator lookout.
To date, I've only lost one bird in this setup to a hawk. She was a young 10-week old pullet still learning the ropes and was about as far from cover as a bird could get where she was taken. I have personally been in the coop when 2 hawk strikes were attempted and went out to the pen shortly another when the hawk was still on the ground. No bird was injured.

This setup has kept at bay fisher cats, coyote, fox, raccoons, the neighbors rotten dogs, feral cats, minks, opossums and black bears.
 

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