Predator Proofing Coop.....

[BWSY]

For the ones that dig under the wall......can I use some thick plastic (as in lots of free bed liner plastic) horizontally at the bottom of the wall? Attached of course!! I'm thinking the animal walks up....nose to the wall, standing on the plastic and scratches away. (About two feet wide)

What type of fencing is best? Standard chicken wire or something else?

Thanks!!!

 

[patman75]

Chicken wire will only stop chickens. Not predators.

2X3 welded wire works. Hardware cloth along the bottom to prevent decapitation is best.

 

[patman75]

Ohh and I forgot

 

[chickerdoodle]

1/2 inch hardware cloth is great. Some folks use welded wire with larger openings but raccoons can pull a chicken apart if they are near any wire with openings larger than 1/2 inch. Chickens tend to panic if they see a predator and then run to the corners were they can be killed by the raccoons pulling them apart (really horrific). We are going to use cement flooring to prevent digging predators and rats but you can bury wire at least a foot deep.

 

[manikkpudur]

Thick wire meshes is best

 

[BWSY]

Thanks!! I think I will go with the hardware cloth on all of it. Walls and roof. It's difficult to dig and bury wire where the coop is going.

I'm still using the bed liner hard plastic for the walls and roof unless it's not an good idea. I'm using the bottom of the liner. I'm trying to keep costs down.......but I want to do what's best so input is welcome.

I'm getting three Barred Rock Hens from a friend, so I'm sure I will be posting more later!!!

 

[chickerdoodle]

If you can't bury the wire you can try going all thew way down to the base with your hardware cloth and bending it so it faces away from the coop (like an "L"). Then cover it with some stones or even just soil. Since animals that dig to get into your coop will hit the wire next to the fence and then can't dig further. Look up the "Egglu" on the Internet and look at their run and you'll get the idea.