Placing coop exit in horse corral to deter predators... good idea?

[arizona_chicken_noob]

Hey all, my first chicks will arrive in about a week and I have been planning their housing and how to protect them from coyotes and raccoons which I know for a fact are on my street.

My horse corral abuts an old shed, and I am thinking that I could build a coop inside the shed and then cut and entrance hole in the shed wall, with a ladder that lands in the horse's pen. This way any would-be predators would have to pass by a 1200# animal before getting to the hens. And there is no dig potential as it sits on a 4" pad. This horse is a mostly neutral 19 y/o guy who hopefully will enjoy the company.

Is this idea big smart or big dumb?

These chickens will be for pets, bug eating in the yard, and manure for garden. I don't want to wake up to a murder scene if I can help it. And I would like to avoid an electric fence if possible. But I also am not sure if putting 3-4 week old chicks in this situation is wise. Maybe when they are fully grown?

 

[cmom]

I have had neighbors that used one of their stalls for their birds. They moved so not sure how it worked out. Good luck and have fun...

 

[HollyWoozle]

I can see your logic but as someone that has both horses and chickens I wouldn’t risk it. I read a topic on a horse forum lately about a horse who had taken a disliking to chickens! Our horses don’t mind the chooks, should one come wandering over, but I don’t think I’d feel comfortable with young chicks in that setting.

As a side note, a fox regularly crosses our horse field without any worries, but maybe your corral isn’t too big?

 

[arizona_chicken_noob]

Thanks @HollyWoozle and @cmom!

My chicks haven't even hatched yet (just 2 days away) and I'm becoming quite the fanatic about protecting them. The horse corral is a small at 30x60 but I am going to take your advice and just not risk it.... at least not until they are fully grown and show that they get along.

I did not really think about the part where the juvenile chickens would be crossing paths with the 1200 pound animal and trying to learn / make sense of it all.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
Our winter paddock and field for the horses is next to the coop, and the chickens are out there with the horses daily. only once did a hen get stepped on and killed by one of the horses, and i saw it happen. she was underfoot, oblivious, and the horse didn't deliberately hurt her. Another time, a cute frizzled cochin cockerel died in the 100 gallon stock tank. Again, only one, once.
However, the time a fox killed ten nice hens in the field with the horses, witnessed by an idiot working next door, the horses just didn't care.
I wouldn't look for your horse to care either.
So, might be fine, but as predator protection, not so much.
Set up your coop so the birds also can have a predator proof run instead, and then you can free range, maybe.
Mary