Newbie

Chooks4ME

In the Brooder
Aug 14, 2017
5
21
24
Being new to the idea even of raising chickens, I'm in the learning overload stage. I live in Maine....brrr part of the year, but beautiful all year, doncha know! ....and, snow melts!
I will start with 4 that are ready to lay eggs and am putting together the coop so I can have chooks (as they say in Australia) within a couple of weeks, so I can get all set and into the routine before snow flies. I plan to put an old tire with sand in the corner for dirt bathing. Because I want to be sure I do what is best in preparation, so.... is it important to protect from predators by installing wire under the ground in the pen area? If so what is best and should it be covered by anything?
So it begins...the first of what will be continued learning, and great enjoyment.
 
:welcome

Don't get too overwhelmed by the 'rights/wrongs' in learning how to raise poultry...just take it a step at a time, it's really pretty simple.

I'm a firm believer in doing whatever is necessary to protect my flock from predators, whether they fly or dig. For my coop, I buried hardware cloth around the run and covered it with dirt and pavers.

Make yourself at home here and never hesitate to ask questions!
 
Hi and welcome to BYC - thanks for joining us.

Here’s a link to the Articles section - https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ There you’ll find lots of information on almost every aspect of keeping chickens - from coop building ideas, to incubating eggs.

There’s a link on the page above to the Learning Centre - it’s a great resource. If you have a specific topic in mind, just type it in the search box - there's a wealth of information on past and present threads.

Each week, various topics are discussed, which can also be a great resource - https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

You may wish to consider joining your state thread as it will put you in touch with other BYC members in your area, which would also be a good place to ask advice re: predator protection - http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/270925/find-your-states-thread#post_3239224

All the best

Pork Pie
 
Hi there! Welcome to Backyard Chickens!

For protecting your flock, I recommend using 1/4 in hardware cloth around the bottom part of your run. A lot of people make a "skirt" around the outside of the run out of hardware cloth, usualy extending out a foot or two and buried just under the ground (a couple inches). Other people dig a trench around their run and extend the hardware cloth straight down a foot and fill it back in. Another method is to place large rocks or pavers around the outside to prevent animals from digging in. A roof of some kind is great to protect from things like hawks and owls.

You will get in to the routine quickly and love every minute of it!
 
Welcome to BYC. I would suggest also that you join your state thread and ask others how they handle the weather & predators.

You may also want to check out the predator threads the coops section for more ideas & advice.
 

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