Predator Proofing Run

[mylilchix]

We live in an area with just about every predator. I was planning on building my run with 1"x3" welded wire fencing covered in chicken wire. Would bird netting work for the top or should I continue chicken wire up there, too? We have hawk, but also raccoons. I'd also love some ideas as to how to keep things from digging under the fence? Thanks for you help!!
Sonja

 

[ChickenToes]

We also have every predator imaginable. Well, except for mountain lions

We buried hardware cloth 3 to 4 inches into the ground. We used a heavy chicken wire for the top.

Some people bury their hardware cloth over 10 inches into the ground...it all depends on how much work you're willing to do.

 

[pierce652]

PRedators were my main concern so I used hardware cloth all around and on top. I buried itfrom 3-8 inches deep depending on rocks and roots. Before I back filled it I mixed up some concrete and poured that into the trench and squished it down with a shovel. Better to be safe than sorry and do the job only once.

 

[fivebigreds]

I have bird netting on mine and it has worked so far as hawks. I lock my birds up at night though , i wouldn't trust it to keep out racoons.

 

[vwoods]

We tried something a little different when we finished our coop. We had alot of leftover quikcrete from setting the posts so in the interest of not wasting.....we dug a trench 4" deep at the base of our fencing which is framed out with exterior grade 2X 4's and filled it with quikcrete. Wet it with water hose really good and it set up nicely in a few hrs. It is very hard just like concrete is supposed to be and hopefully when any predator starts diggin and hits that concrete it will stop them. I've never heard anyone on this forum say that they have done this so it's in the experimental stages I guess. Good luck. Here is our coop page if you want to take a look: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=9455.
You can also read on our coop page how we handle the covering for the top.

 

[dixygirl]

I've had concrete and pavers around my peafowl pen for a couple years. It worked fine. I am also putting it around my new duck pen now too. Did the floor inside their coop the same way and a border around that too. So hopefully everyone will be safe

PS I also just poured the powder and sprayed it with the hose. I couldn't see mixing all that heavy stuff. It dried just as hard as if i had mixed it. I made the duck pen with T posts and fencing and cemented the bottom of the fence to the ground that way too. I didn't bother to dig a trench. I just poured the powder on the ground and wet it. Saved time and energy of cutting and nailing boards all around the bottom. So it does work!

Also for the duck's safety, I put their coop inside the fenced in pen. I have the same welded wire caging for a pitched roof to the pen. I was going to get a net but saw the cost wasn't that different to use welded wire fencing on top.

 

[Akane]

To keep most predators out I did my guinea pig pen with chainlink on the outside and hardware cloth on the inside: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v244/aqh88/guinea pigs/outdoor pen/ The top is now bird netting.

I currently bring them in at night but If I were leaving them out I would do a more solid top, then some hardware cloth on the ground around the outside at least 2-3' out followed by a low hot wire. A single strand electric wire on fiberglass rods or connected to the posts used for your pen and run on a charger that uses batteries is really easy to setup and not all that expensive. Probably one of the easiest and most cost effective way to discourage most ground predators and prevent most animals from digging in. 2nd to concrete though especially if you want something really permanent.

 

[LynneP]

We have a similar set of predators, except for grizzlies and wolverines. We have a small population of eastern cougars, lynes, bobcats. We went with 1/2" hardware cloth to stop predators from reaching in or weaseling through. You could cover your larger wire with that so you'd have a bear and small-predator proof area. I know it's awfully expensive, but you'd have your birds. We roofed over our run, no sense fencing if critters can invade from above. At seven weeks they march in before sunset and we secure the double pop doors and latches. Good girls!







.

 

[dixygirl]

LynneP I absolutely LOVE the way you have that clear corrugated roofing on your pen! It looks gorgeous.

Everything is SO well constructed and detail oriented! Lovely pictures.

Congratulations

 

[raizin]

nice coop, why did you put the wire on the inside of the posts with stays? You would get more strength from putting the wire on the outside of the posts. I have found that electric fencing is the cure for all predators. NO ONE likes getting shocked!! Even the predators. One single strand a few inches from the ground and one six inches from the top. I do have hardware cloth on the bottom two feet and then 4 inch x2 inch wire the rest of the way up the sides. All of this stapled to the outside of the posts. Then I took 2 strand no barb wire and seperated the strands. I overlapped the two kinds of fencing and then weaved the smooth wire between the two sheets so no predator could get between the joint. I lost 10 chickens before I got the electric fence up. I had a racoon coming back every night and killing one to two chickens. I was gone for four days and lost most of them then. I got the raccoon and then spent two days fixing up my coop. Haven't lost a single one since. I am sold on electricity. I have a battery powered generator.