post your chicken coop pictures here!

[cabinchicky]

Just an FYI, also check your Feed Elevator( if there is one!) for fencing and hardware cloth. Larger selection at the one I use. Fence I use is 1"x2" space welded wire hardware cloth is half inch or smaller. Stapled and screwed, bit of a over protection nut.

 

[TerryH]

Thank you! 

2x the size of the one they have at home depot.

How's the quality though ?

I just ordered it but I feel confident that it will be good quality. 5 star rating on 156 reviews.

 

[gpeters3]

There are various grades of hardware cloth. I found some that was pretty thin. The cloth i bought will defeat any dog ive known. Chicken wire comes in 1 inch holes and i dont believe any weasel ive seen could get through it. We have weasels, racoons, coyotes and stray dogs here and my chickens stayed safe for 4 years with 2 inch wire. I agree with the forum that 2 inch chicken wire is not secure so i used 1 inch covered with 2x4 coated deer wire 6 feet tall. Since my birds all roost in the coop it is unlikely they will be bothered by reach through attacks since none of these animals come around during the day.

There is such a thing as over thinking it. If i see any damage or find any injured birds i will post an appology but i dont expect any problems. I use galvanized hardware cloth on my brood pens to keep the smaller chicks in and prevent pecking by the hens and i will be attaching some to the screen area of storm door so i can leave the window open at night and i attached it to the bottom of the run fencing and covered it with dirt to prevent digging. I have considered using some around the bottom of the run but havent convinced myself its necessary yet.

I also use furring strips exclusively to secure any wire except hog wire or cyclone fencing. You only need an exterior deck screw every 6-8 inches and the wood will grab the wire well enough to prevent pulling it out. Especially if you cover the thin wire with the heavier wire. In my case i have an air stapeler which i used to secure the wire in place before installing the furring strips so i actually have two levels of security. The other advantage of furring strips is they cover the edges of the wire preventing injury.

 

[junebuggena]

There are various grades of hardware cloth. I found some that was pretty thin. The cloth i bought will defeat any dog ive known. Chicken wire comes in 1 inch holes and i dont believe any weasel ive seen could get through it. We have weasels, racoons, coyotes and stray dogs here and my chickens stayed safe for 4 years with 2 inch wire. I agree with the forum that 2 inch chicken wire is not secure so i used 1 inch covered with 2x4 coated deer wire 6 feet tall. Since my birds all roost in the coop it is unlikely they will be bothered by reach through attacks since none of these animals come around during the day.

There is such a thing as over thinking it. If i see any damage or find any injured birds i will post an appology but i dont expect any problems. I use galvanized hardware cloth on my brood pens to keep the smaller chicks in and prevent pecking by the hens and i will be attaching some to the screen area of storm door so i can leave the window open at night and i attached it to the bottom of the run fencing and covered it with dirt to prevent digging. I have considered using some around the bottom of the run but havent convinced myself its necessary yet.

Consider yourself fortunate that your local coyote and raccoon populations don't come around during the day. Where I'm at, they can be found out and hunting in broad daylight. No such thing as nighttime only around here. I've had coon attacks at 10:00 in the morning, 5 hours after sunrise; coyotes trying to take birds at 2:00 in the afternoon.

 

[MeepBeep]

Chicken wire comes in 1 inch holes and i dont believe any weasel ive seen could get through it.

Least Weasels are rarely seen in the wild, they are not much bigger than a field mouse just longer mouse and thus can easily hide even in most mowed lawns without much trouble.. They can and do pass through holes as small as 1" without hassle...

Despite their small size they can and do kill much, much larger prey including chickens just for fun... Their habitat also covers all of MI...

 

[MeepBeep]

Consider yourself fortunate that your local coyote and raccoon populations don't come around during the day. Where I'm at, they can be found out and hunting in broad daylight. No such thing as nighttime only around here. I've had coon attacks at 10:00 in the morning, 5 hours after sunrise; coyotes trying to take birds at 2:00 in the afternoon.

Yep, I'm in the process of hunting a daylight coyote right now, saw him about a week ago at 3PM in full sun having a stare down with my llamas trying to figure out if ti was worth jumping the fence to get at the goats... Saw him the next day as well about 6PM (still daylight) in the same area again having a stare down with the llamas, and although I was able to get close it was not close enough for a decent shot with a pistol i was carrying at the time... I'm now locked and loaded now with 00 buckshot in the 12 gauge, and a riffle on standby but he/she hasn't been seen yet this week... Might attempt calling it out of the tree line next week if it keeps playing a cat/mouse game with me...

 

[bigmrg74]

The baby buffs inspecting the progress I'm making on my new coop I'm building.

 

[ShanandGem]

Yep, I'm in the process of hunting a daylight coyote right now, saw him about a week ago at 3PM in full sun having a stare down with my llamas trying to figure out if ti was worth jumping the fence to get at the goats... Saw him the next day as well about 6PM (still daylight) in the same area again having a stare down with the llamas, and although I was able to get close it was not close enough for a decent shot with a pistol i was carrying at the time... I'm now locked and loaded now with 00 buckshot in the 12 gauge, and a riffle on standby but he/she hasn't been seen yet this week... Might attempt calling it out of the tree line next week if it keeps playing a cat/mouse game with me...

We don't have much patience for coyotes around here either. Thankfully our provincial laws state that with more than five acres anything that can be considered 'nuisance' wildlife or a threat to our livestock can be dispatched.
Our bigger issue is with apex predators. Cougars, bobcats, wolves, as well as the omnivores and scavengers.

 

[MeepBeep]

We don't have much patience for coyotes around here either.  Thankfully our provincial laws state that with more than five acres anything that can be considered 'nuisance' wildlife or a threat to our livestock can be dispatched.

Yeah my local laws allow pretty much anything threatening livestock to be taken care of legally without consequence, but coyote season is also open year around, so as long as I have a valid hunting license they are fair game all year regardless...

 

[gpeters3]

Least Weasels are rarely seen in the wild, they are not much bigger than a field mouse just longer mouse and thus can easily hide even in most mowed lawns without much trouble.. They can and do pass through holes as small as 1" without hassle...

Despite their small size they can and do kill much, much larger prey including chickens just for fun... Their habitat also covers all of MI...

Havent seen one since i was a kid and i used to live on a farm with hunting dogs and the weasels we had were about the size of a fox squirel. Dogs used to tree them on power poles all the time. Been in Michigan 70 years and never saw one the size of a mouse. They are related to the ferret and wolvarine.

You are right about their penchant for killing for fun. They will go through a chicken coop and kill every one. Only seen it once but it was a mess.