Predator Proofing in Advance

[cmom]

If you do go for a electric wires around you setup, I would recommend a DC battery operated fence charger since you have no AC to your coops. Solar is ok but if weeds grow and touch the wires you will have more issues.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-treatise-on-electric-fencing.1117877/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/electric-fence-basics.1398976/

 

[U_Stormcrow]

IF you go the electric fence route, however you do it, look to the Joules rating for how much charge it stores. Assuming you have large cats in the area (we did, in the Lost Pines area of TX), you are going to want a minimum of a 1J (Joule) rating as a deterrent. SO chances are, your fence will be rated for some multiple of "miles" far greater than what you actually wire.

Poor grounding and tiny shorts from grass, bleed down fence posts, etc can greatly reduce the effectiveness of an electric fence if not maintained. I walk mine every day, looking for weeds and tall grasses, listening for shorts at the posts.

 

[Waters-flock]

Long posts are good, saves us the delay of asking lots of questions in response. Planning ahead is to be commended. You are already one step ahead of most.

I use a large hen house with two floors - 80 sq ft and about 105 sq ft (concrete board, livestock fencing, and hardware cloth), inside a large run (about 1,000 sq ft) of livestock fencing plus chicken wire, inside about 4.5 acres protected by an electric fence (5 wire, 3 hot, each wire is about 2/3 mile in length, charger is rated for "30 miles" - 1.2 joules. Hot wires are 6", 24", and 48" high, middle wires are tied to grounds, so contact between any two will get your attention). A second house and (larger) run is being constructed in an L around two sides of the first. The third side is my barn. As I drop small dead trees, I tend to lay them out along the outside of the fence as a digging deterrent - sandy clay soils make burying wire both impractical and expensive, the clay is quite corrosive to metals.

Its effective for ground based predators. I've taken several losses to aerial predators - its impractical to try and string wires over the 1.5 acres of open pasture, and I trust the remaining, under-brushed area, to provide camouflage. With some success.

If you are willing to take some losses, a set up like mine may be effective for you - two years ago, I was still living in the "Lost Pines" are of TX, we had similar predators. If the idea of losses really troubles you, for whatever reason, then I would recommend following @cmom's advice on set up - LOTS of experience there to learn from.

Great information here - thank you. I'm so new to this that I'm still trying to figure out how large an area to enclose and how many chickens to plan for. I'm starting out small but want to leave myself options to expand if possible. And I know realistically that I will have losses over time - I just want to set things up now so I don't kick myself later if something I could have prevented happens.

 

[Kriscam]

I have room to allow the chickens to free range but, to be honest, I am too nervous. I would rather just build a large area for the chicks to wander around that is secure. Maybe I can let them out once in awhile but only when I'm there. I know, I'm crazy already.

I feel exactly the same way. I am so attached to my four little ones that it would break my heart if one of them were injured or killed. I might even go all Annie Oakley and learn to shoot the bb gun in case predators get close!

 

[cmom]

A BB gun won't do much but good to learn to shoot with. A .22 works much better. If you really don't want to eliminate any predators you can trap and call a wildlife rescue that would be happy to come and get it.

 

[cmom]

http://www.poultrydvm.com/featured-infographic/tips-for-protecting-poultry-from-predators