Predator proof

[RuthhoneyEstherFrannymom]

I am purchasing a metal kennel to put over my coop but it’s manufactured with chicken wire. Should I put hardware cloth on the bottom 2 feet or should I cover the whole thing is hardware cloth?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Only if you are serious about the phrase 'predator proof'.

Much depends on where you live. If you are on an island or some locales in Europe the process is differrent rather than if you are in the US, South America or elsewhere.
Unless we know where you are, we don't know what dangers your birds face.

 

[RuthhoneyEstherFrannymom]

Only if you are serious about the phrase 'predator proof'.

Much depends on where you live. If you are on an island or some locales in Europe the process is differrent rather than if you are in the US, South America or elsewhere.
Unless we know where you are, we don't know what dangers your birds face.

California so mainly raccoons and other rodents

 

[nuthatched]

The whole thing.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you can afford it, the whole thing. If budget is tight, then at least the bottom 2-3 feet.

Also strength of attachments matter. Ideally you want to overlap seams, use wire/metal for attaching, and have it as taut as possible and attached to both the frame and the other wire underneath.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

California so mainly raccoons and other rodents

More than rodents.
California is a big state, but your mammalian predators are raccoons and dogs plus depending on location could likely be: opossums, mink, wolverines, ermine, weasels, martens, badger, skunk, ring tailed cat, coyote, fox, bobcat, cougar, bear, etc.
With that list, the presence of mink and weasels mean the entire thing has to be covered. Mink can climb, get into a space as small as an inch. That means chicken wire will keep chickens in but won't keep mink out of anything.

 

[gtaus]

I am purchasing a metal kennel to put over my coop but it’s manufactured with chicken wire. Should I put hardware cloth on the bottom 2 feet or should I cover the whole thing is hardware cloth?

Let me offer a differing opinion on this subject. I think most of us are challenged with the cost of making a chicken coop and run "predator proof" and what we can actually afford to do.

Chicken wire is inexpensive, but certainly won't stop a raccoon or many other predators. Hardware cloth is much better in that respect, but one can go bankrupt covering an entire chicken run with expensive hardware cloth.

Another factor I considered was that I was trying to protect a handful of $3.00 chickens that give me about 50 cents worth of eggs every day. How much money would I put into my setup to make everything "predator proof?" I mean, for me, that was a real consideration.

I don't think your idea of covering the bottom 2 feet with hardware cloth will do much of anything to help you make your run "predator proof." Most predators you would probably encounter can climb, then the chicken wire would not stop them at all.

So, let me tell you my solution that has worked for me. I decided that I could not afford to make both my chicken coop and run "predator proof." But I thought about it and decided that I probably only needed a "predator resistant" chicken run for the daytime - enough to keep out, or at least slow down - any dog that might wander through my yard during the daytime. So, my run has 2X4 welded wire fencing, which is better than chicken wire, but much less expensive than hardware cloth. In the 4+ years I have used that 2X4 fencing, it has stopped stray dogs from getting at the chickens. That's about all I could hope for.

The real daytime predators I worry about are Bald Eagles and hawks. I live on a lake, and we have eagles and hawks overhead all the time. I have bird netting stretched across the top of my chicken run fencing and that has prevented any aerial attacks. Bird netting is cheap. I bought my netting locally at our Fleet store, but Amazon has a much bigger selection of sizes of bird netting.

Next, I considered most of my predator attacks from wild animals would probably come at night. My chicken run fencing is not going to stop raccoons, for example. My solution was to build a Fort Knox chicken coop and lock up my hens every night. It is much cheaper to make a chicken coop "predator proof" then trying to make the chicken run "predator proof." My money was better spent in making the coop predator proof and locking the hens up every night.

Well, that's what I could afford for my backyard flock and it has worked for me. I have not had any attack in 4+ years. A few stray dogs came around the chickens over the years but the 2X4 fence stopped them.

If you have an unlimited budget for your backyard flock, then go ahead and cover everything with hardware cloth. I'm all for keeping my chickens as safe as possible - but within my budget. I could not afford to cover my 13X30 foot chicken run in hardware cloth. But my "predator resistant" run with a Fort Knox "predator proof" coop has proved to be good enough for my location.

 

[3 NH reds]

I went with the 2-4 welded wire all of the coop including the overhead of the run I then ran 2-4 welded on the inside of the run. a few weeks ago I had what I think was a weasel chew the original chicken wire and kill some of my meat birds. then next week I had a possum chew the welded wire fence and took my wife's favorite Americauna hen who liked to sleep in the laying box. I was at wits end. I got two traps at tractor supply and baited them with meat bird cleaning leftovers. I got the possum and "dispatched" it. Now I have a solar electric fence with wire 3" offf the ground and another wire at 2' with another near the top.
Electric fence may be the only predator proof hope

 

[gtaus]

I went with the 2-4 welded wire all of the coop including the overhead of the run I then ran 2-4 welded on the inside of the run. a few weeks ago I had what I think was a weasel chew the original chicken wire and kill some of my meat birds. then next week I had a possum chew the welded wire fence and took my wife's favorite Americauna hen who liked to sleep in the laying box. I was at wits end. I got two traps at tractor supply and baited them with meat bird cleaning leftovers. I got the possum and "dispatched" it. Now I have a solar electric fence with wire 3" offf the ground and another wire at 2' with another near the top.
Electric fence may be the only predator proof hope

We all have different predator pressures to deal with. Sorry for your loss.

Did your attacks happen in the daytime or at night? In my case, I was mainly worried about nighttime attacks and that is why I fortified my coop. So far, nothing has gotten into my coop at night and the birds have been safe.

If I ever do get attacked, I'm sure I would have to rethink my defenses. I hope your electric fence works for you.

 

[3 NH reds]

We all have different predator pressures to deal with. Sorry for your loss.

Did your attacks happen in the daytime or at night? In my case, I was mainly worried about nighttime attacks and that is why I fortified my coop. So far, nothing has gotten into my coop at night and the birds have been safe.

If I ever do get attacked, I'm sure I would have to rethink my defenses. I hope your electric fence works for you.

night. I hope you have good luck. Think of getting electric fence as good insurance.