OK, probably a common sense question, but needing some guidance...

[khorton]

Hi all,

I became a member here a few years ago, because I had started a chicken coop. Well, 3 years later, it's almost to completion. : ).

Anyway, I have a question...

I have been hesitant to get any chickens because I have two chows that will be sharing the same backyard. If you're familiar at all with this breed, you know that they can be aggressive, and predatory.

Can any of you offer any advice on how to keep these two out of the chicken pen? That is one of the main reasons I have been putting it off for so long. This thing would have been done years ago, but I wasn't sure where to go from here. Any advice would be welcomed. I've exhausted any solutions that I could think of. Thought I would ask the pros. : ) Thanks in advance.

As you can see in the photos, you will see the predators. I need to figure out how to keep them from digging under and harassing my chickens when I get them.

In the others, you will see the coop with the surrounding pen. Like I said, it isn't finished yet. I am putting on an additional roof/pergola (sic) type of structure off of the front. Will also stretch chicken wire across the top where the pergola/roof doesn't cover.

Thanks,

Kevin

 

[MeepBeep]

That welded wire garden fence will offer little to no protection against most predators, consider it a chicken retainer only... Small predators will simply go through it and larger ones will likely break the welds and create an opening large enough to go through or climb it... Chicken wire on top will again offer little protection from larger predators... Chicken wire is to contain chickens not protect them from predators...

Even though it's costly 1/2" or even 1/4" wire mesh is really what is needed to protect the chickens from predators...

As for the dogs, you can devote the time to training them or put up a second fence around the coop so they can't get close and hope they obey it... The best way to prevent dig under is to extend and bury the fence to a depth of about 18" into the ground...

 

[Folly's place]

x2! There's no way your birds will be safe with your pen as it is now. Hardware cloth everywhere, dig-proof base, top, and your coop needs much more ventilation and natural light too. Your dogs can get in there easily, and so can most other predators. My walls and coop that we rebuilt this summer, not stained yet. It's on an old building foundation too. Training your adult dogs to ignore the birds will take a lot of time and effort, and meanwhile they will need no access to your flock. Mary

 

[dekel18042]

Hi all,

I became a member here a few years ago, because I had started a chicken coop. Well, 3 years later, it's almost to completion. : ).

Anyway, I have a question...

I have been hesitant to get any chickens because I have two chows that will be sharing the same backyard. If you're familiar at all with this breed, you know that they can be aggressive, and predatory.

Can any of you offer any advice on how to keep these two out of the chicken pen? That is one of the main reasons I have been putting it off for so long. This thing would have been done years ago, but I wasn't sure where to go from here. Any advice would be welcomed. I've exhausted any solutions that I could think of. Thought I would ask the pros. : ) Thanks in advance.

As you can see in the photos, you will see the predators. I need to figure out how to keep them from digging under and harassing my chickens when I get them.

In the others, you will see the coop with the surrounding pen. Like I said, it isn't finished yet. I am putting on an additional roof/pergola (sic) type of structure off of the front. Will also stretch chicken wire across the top where the pergola/roof doesn't cover.

Thanks,

Kevin

You could put heavier gauge fencing around the outside, bury the bottom and add a hot wire top and bottom. Or if you plan to get only a few chickens, you can get a heavy chicken tractor that can be moved around.
Once you have the birds, you can see how your dogs act with them and see if you think with training the dogs can learn to accept the chickens. Good luck.
Wanted to add we had neighbor with a Great Dane and a chow and he had poultry that free ranged with no problems.

 

[khorton]

Hey all,

Thanks for the responses....I guess I should reiterate that this coop/pen actually sits inside a 4' chain link fence (fenced in backyard), so I wasn't TOO concerned about the big ones....(i.e. coyotes, foxes, etc, unless they learn to jump over a 4' tall fence. I realize that I may need to use hardware cloth (I believe that is what it's called), but I was more concerned about raccoons, possums, owls, that type of predator. Does that make a difference?

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[MeepBeep]

so I wasn't TOO concerned about the big ones....(i.e. coyotes, foxes, etc, unless they learn to jump over a 4' tall fence.

A 4 foot fence is not a challenge for a hungry coyote, fox, dog, wolf, raccoon or many other predators...

FYI coyotes can clear jump a 5 foot fence without touching it, in fact they can jump (up to about) an 8 foot fence using their legs to pull them up and over... And they have the ability to climb even higher... Same with foxes and many domestic dogs... Other predators will simply climb the fence...

 

[Hholly]

Hot wire. Cheap, simple effective. A mesh on top will discourage any sky predators.