New to the whole chicken thing....quick question...

[Britbrighton]

I am getting four 5 week old Orpington hens in a few weeks...I have a half an acre, country but not totally rural and I have invested in a good covered predator-proof (supposedly) coop and run...My question is, I keep hearing HORROR stories about predators...we are keeping the coop right beside the house...am I doomed for predators/dead chickens or do people actually manage predator control with some special care? Some of the stories I read make me rethink the whole chicken thing....I want it to be a nice experience not traumautizing, especially since I have kids that are excited about this...any thoughts? Thanks~

 

[ChickyLaura]

Dig a trench at least 6" around your run and sink chicken wire in the trench. That way if something digs they will run into chicken wire. I'm sure it's not 100% predator proof, but it's a deterrant.

Where are you located? What kind of predators do you have?

 

[WhetzelMomma]

My run has wire around the whole thing. It's a tractor. I have hardware cloth on the sides so that raccoons can't pull chickens through the wire. It's pretty secure. I've had people tell me a bear would have a hard time getting in. So far so good, and we have lived in the city and now in the country. None of my wire is burried, but the floor is wire.

 

[Britbrighton]

Well I am upstate NY (1/2 hr from Albany)I am not sure what kind of predators are around here since I have only been in the area for three years (I guess I will find out) Other people with chickens in nearby towns complain of weasels, specifically and I know I have seen a skunk around once in a while....weasels seem really brutal...My coop is 1/2" hardware cloth and the run is covered....I intend to bury some screening....any more advice I would love to hear...It is nice to know someone has a good experience!

 

[WhetzelMomma]

I think using the 1/2 in hardware is your best defense. Weasels and Rats can get through VERY small spaces. 1/2 in is NOT one of those they are known to be able to get through. A few things I also did...
1. overlapped wire on the wood. The wire on the top and bottom overlaps the wire on the sides.
2. Used sturdy nails and "staples" (they are really like U shaped nails. they are really thick) instead of weaker connecting tools like a staple gun (with actual staples)
3. I have looked over my coop from a lot of angles, and tugged and pulled just about everywhere. When I found a weak spot, or a door that looked like with some pulling, a small space to get in could be made, I added hardware and re enforcement.
4. Don't just use hooks to close your pen and house. Raccoons are VERY smart. I've got two DIFFERENT kinds of locks for the doors, making it more complicated for ME to get in, but also making it so that the Raccoons have more to figure out, and HOPEFULLY I'd see evidence they were around BEFORE they got in the coop, and could take measures to get rid of THEM before they got to my chickens.

I'd say it's fair to say that no matter WHERE you live, you have the following predators.
Raccoon
Skunk
Rats
Birds of Prey

 

[Backyard Hencam]

Don't get discouraged. You can make your coop predator proof. Many of the above suggestions are good. Lock your hens in a solid structure at night and relax and enjoy your brood.

 

[WhetzelMomma]

Quote:
I have to agree!! As sturdy as the actual run itself is, it's the night time structure that I personally try to ensure is the best I can make it.

 

[Britbrighton]

Thank you sooo much all of you for your advice....I am so excited to get my hens...I just took some negative comments someone made and panicked! Wetzel;Do you think keeping the chicken coop closer to the house would make a difference? Or is yours farther away from your home with success?

 

[WhetzelMomma]

Quote:
Well, it will depend on the determination of your pests!! lol I have known people who have opened the door to their back porch and found a Raccoon there. Keeping the coop near your house will offer more security in that you'll HEAR things better should something/somecritter come near and start to mess with your chickens.

IMO what it boils down to is this:
1. Make SURE you do your best to make any "possible" entries too small to enter, or too well secured to bother. (because TRUST ME. They WILL try. and TEST)
2. Make sure you don't have things like food out where they are easy to access. It's like filling your cat's food bowl at NIGHT and then being surprised to find a raccoon dining out of the cat's dish in the middle of the night. lol Use common sense. Feed your chickens what they can eat in one day. Don't leave their food out where it can attract animals at night. Secure their feed bags. Don't leave THEM out.

The fact is, you'll ALWAYS have pests/predators. They are a part of even the most city of city lives. Most of them come out at night. That's when your chickens guards are at their lowest, and when it's up to YOU to make sure things are at their most optimal. For example, I'm re structuring a chicken tractor I recently got for a steal. The builders weren't thinking much about predators. There was no wire on the bottom of the tractor, and they had cut the wire to fit around the wheels, but hadn't secured the wire to the wood near it. So there was a space about 6 inches wide over the tire, that was PRIME for a persistent Raccoon to have squished through. AND the chicken wire was plenty big enough for a raccoon to stretch and reach chickens through too.

While I don't think predation is something that you have to worry constantly about, I do think it's something you need to know is a possibility no matter how well you THINK you've made your coop. It's just part of the deal. Things happen. It's like dogs and cats vs. cars. Most likely, with good pet ownership, you won't have to deal with your cat or dog being hit by a car. BUT the chance is still there. No matter what.