Predator proof

[2pekin]

I live in a pretty urban area...probably the biggest threat being raccoons. Will chicken wire protect my ducks?! If you have any better suggestions please let me know

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
Chicken wire will keep your birds in,so any predator will have an easier time getting them all!
It's totally useless as predator protection, a waste of time and money.
You need something with no openings larger than 1/2" diameter anywhere, including around doorways and at the roof line. Hardware cloth, securely fastened, everywhere!
It also pays to have 2"x 4" woven wire over that hardware cloth, also well fastened.
Use 1" fence staples, close together, into the framing, and then covered with 1"x 4" boards screwed into the framing.
I think I'm seeing larger openings at your roof, and this all needs to be better protected. If that roof lifts up, make sure it's latched with something a child couldn't open, like a padlock.
Raccoons are a huge threat, but not the only problem that can arrive. Think about two big hungry dogs, and rats, and foxes, coyotes, and weasels. Many critters live very well in urban environments!
Mary

 

[Tamdog]

Most raccoons can cut right through that. Invest in a small heavy duty tight wire like hardware cloth. You will never regret it. My son lives in a very urban area, he has more things killing his chicken than I do in the country. He had foxes, raccoon, possums, hawks, owls, you name it- They are HUNGRY in the city. I live way out in the country. The predators have more to eat. Not to say there are not any around, they just do not get into my pen. My best defense is that my dog roams around outside at night and I put automatic sensors on some big outdoor lights so I think when the light goes on indicating something is near the chicken pen.....my dog comes running.

 

[2pekin]

Welcome!
Chicken wire will keep your birds in,so any predator will have an easier time getting them all!
It's totally useless as predator protection, a waste of time and money.
You need something with no openings larger than 1/2" diameter anywhere, including around doorways and at the roof line. Hardware cloth, securely fastened, everywhere!
It also pays to have 2"x 4" woven wire over that hardware cloth, also well fastened.
Use 1" fence staples, close together, into the framing, and then covered with 1"x 4" boards screwed into the framing.
I think I'm seeing larger openings at your roof, and this all needs to be better protected. If that roof lifts up, make sure it's latched with something a child couldn't open, like a padlock.
Raccoons are a huge threat, but not the only problem that can arrive. Think about two big hungry dogs, and rats, and foxes, coyotes, and weasels. Many critters live very well in urban environments!
Mary

Should I close the gaps in the roof with the hardware cloth as well? And the roof does open but it’s pretty heavy, I’d say around 10 pounds.

 

[Folly's place]

I think those gaps need to eliminated somehow, and that roof needs to be latched/ locked down.
Raccoons are evil!
Is this run dig proof?
It's very nice, just not safe, yet.
Mary

 

[centrarchid]

I see three options that will not detract much from the pens looks. First, I would use 2 x 4 inch welded wire to reinforce the existing chicken wire. Then I would explore something on the inside to keep the ducks sleeping at least 12 inches from the sides where raccoons would be tempted to reach through, Finally, I would look into electryfying an out perimeter that zaps raccoons messing around outside of pen. A low end solar powered fence charger can do what is is needed. It will not take much of a zap to persuade the raccoons to back off. Use the bright yellow plastic insulators placed fairly close together so they attract the attention of you and others so as not to get zapped too.

 

[neo71665]

Take it from somebody that has 2 pet coons. They will just laugh at chicken wire. You can put an electric fence around the outside but with that ivy covered (guessing fence) they will just go over that and get on the roof and go in. The pen is way too close to whatever that it. Your talking about an animal that can scale a perfectly vertical wall up and back down it never missing a lick. A coon can easily lift 10 lbs. I've seen my half grown girls roll a cinder block around. The net says a cinder block weigh about 30 lbs.

I'd suggest cutting your losses and just redoing the fencing with something designed to keep animals out and not only birds in.

 

[centrarchid]

Take it from somebody that has 2 pet coons. They will just laugh at chicken wire. You can put an electric fence around the outside but with that ivy covered (guessing fence) they will just go over that and get on the roof and go in. The pen is way too close to whatever that it. Your talking about an animal that can scale a perfectly vertical wall up and back down it never missing a lick. A coon can easily lift 10 lbs. I've seen my half grown girls roll a cinder block around. The net says a cinder block weigh about 30 lbs.

I'd suggest cutting your losses and just redoing the fencing with something designed to keep animals out and not only birds in.

Free-range raccoon keeper here. Might be stretching the bold.

 

[neo71665]

Free-range raccoon keeper here. Might be stretching the bold.

Yeah, I've seen em do some pretty crazy stuff when there is a pack of blueticks and a couple of rugers below them.

 

[centrarchid]

Yeah, I've seen em do some pretty crazy stuff when there is a pack of blueticks and a couple of rugers below them.

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