Newbie seeks advice

[Matthewob]

Hi All, so glad I found this Forum!
I raised chickens as a kid and learned a lot and had a great time, but like many lovers of the mighty fowl I ended up loosing several birds to the dreaded coon. Back then I used 2X2 welded wire in a enclosed coop but their was no "house" just wire on the sides and a solid top. I set up perches in the middle of the coop between 2 internal studs. Somehow the coon would lure the birds down from their perch and get them near the side where they would eat their heads off and gut them.

My new coop will have a dedicated hen house which is a enclosed wooden structure and an attached run which will be covered with wire on the top and the sides. I have also sunk 2X6 redwood boards around the entire run to keep any digging predators out.

Here's my Question: Since the birds will be in the house at night can I use 1X2 welded wire on the run? I can't imagine that a predator could lure a chicken off of their perch, out of the house and to the side of the run. I would love not to have to use hardware cloth. Will the house offer enough protection? Any thoughts? Thanks for your input. I have read many of the other posts but haven't seen this aspect of this topic addressed.

 

[patandchickens]

Hi, welcome to BYC

1x2 is fine for a run, IMHO, but it's still wise to add something smaller-meshed around the bottom 2-3'. That way chickens can't stick their heads out and predators can't stick their arms in. And chicks can't pop out. It doesn't have to be anything real strong, I like 1/2" chickenwire (not the usual 1") but you could step up to hardware cloth or even, with only a little extra risk, step down to 1/2" plastic garden netting. It's only meant to baffle the openings against body parts pokin' through

Not meaning to criticize, but you might want to beef up your protection against digging predators, especially since you've had bad experiences with predator losses in the past. Redwood will not last all that long when buried in soil; and many predators (dogs, coyotes, foxes) are happy to dig down 18" (or rarely more) to go under the fence and have chicken dinner. THe simplest thing is to lay an 'apron' of welded wire fencing -- 2x4" mesh is fine for most situations, I wouldn't go any bigger though and a smaller mesh is fine too -- flat on the ground all around the run (and coop too if it's dirt-floored). Attach it securely to the base of the run fence, then pin or weight it down real well onto the ground so that it soon "becomes part of the ground". (Fancy people can peel back turf and put it just underneath, or put mulch or large stones on it; but just letting the grass grow thru works too). Make sure the outer edge is turned downward so you don't catch your toes or lawnmower on it. Any width is better than nothing, but ideally you'd have 2-3' width of apron, maybe even a bit more if you know you've got loose digging-inclined dogs or foxes around.

Good luck, ahve fun,

Pat

 

[cmom]

I used chicken wire around my run. I have seen coons on my critter cam but have not had any try to get my birds but I do have an electric fence around the outside.