Predator Proofing

[Catandherchicks]

I am new to raising chickens. A couple of weeks ago I purchased a premade coop. Two days ago purchased our first chicks. After reading this post I'm concerned for their safety. What if I purchased 12"x12" concrete blocks and surrounded the coop? It's not large and can only accommodate about 6 chickens.

I did that for the ready-made coop/run I bought to house the chicks my broody was hatching. The 12" square concrete pavers were on sale at Lowes, so I surrounded the whole thing. The run also has a wood roof and has 1/4" hardware cloth on the sides. I close the chicks up at night and added deterrent additions to access points as well. The only threat I see is if several large coons stand up and all push on one side, the whole unit may tip over. They could probably plot that.

 

[Folly's place]

One or two large dogs could topple it too. Mary

 

[Catandherchicks]

I sunk the wire in the ground approx 4" deep all around the run. Then I placed ready mix concrete 90# bags all around the bottom of the run leave the concrete in the bag and after a year the paper will rot off and you have a 90# rocks around the pen. This has worked for me for many years.

Very clever idea! Now if I could just lift 90 lbs......
I saw a post where one lady used those long concrete bricks that have the two square holes and surrounded the run then filled the holes with planter mix and planted flowers in them.

 

[Catandherchicks]

One or two large dogs could topple it too.  Mary

You're right. Hopefully they would be too tired from digging into the fenced back yard.

 

[Robert M]

Wire buried an inch underground and extending two feet outward from the pen.

*edited by Staff

16-18" will do. Then you can split the hardware cloth down the center of a 4' piece, when you turn 6" up at the pen/coop.
Hardware cloth is expensive.

 

[Robert M]

I did that for the ready-made coop/run I bought to house the chicks my broody was hatching. The 12" square concrete pavers were on sale at Lowes, so I surrounded the whole thing. The run also has a wood roof and has 1/4" hardware cloth on the sides. I close the chicks up at night and added deterrent additions to access points as well. The only threat I see is if several large coons stand up and all push on one side, the whole unit may tip over. They could probably plot that.

You people buying those TractorSupply-type coops may wabnt to take them back apart and put hardware cloth under the plywoos. Dogs, wolves. coons foxes, etc., can chew right through the wood. They got my rabbits that way.

 

[NC Chicks]

we built our coop off the ground approx. 30 inches. I used 36 inch hardware cloth and bent the bottom outward. Right now it just has a piece of 4x4,but I've purchased 15x15 concrete paver to hold it in place.
I also paid up for the electric door. Door works but timer didn't! So I'm planning on wiring it to a switch so I no longer have to go inside the run to open the door.
The pipe feeders are the bomb. They hold enough feed for about 2+ days, the chicks can't scratch the feed onto the ground,and the 1.5 inch holes are just big enough for their heads to go in for feed.
I put a heavier grade bird "wire" overhead. (Zip ties are my friend!) We have owls and hawks, but several of my neighbors also have chickens that free range. ....so predators go for the easy picking.
I'm a firm believer in closing them in the safety of the coop at night. And to that end I will be putting hardware cloth over the windows to ensure something won't go easily thru the screen in the middle of the night.

 

[Jmurgang1943]

Hardware cloth(wire) is the best predator proof wire. It is very strong and predators cannot chew it. We lost many a bird because chicken wire is too flimsy.
The hardware cloth is more expensive but not in the long run as it saves lives. Nothing is more upsetting than finding your chicken house full of feathers and birds missing.
Make the investment.

 

[Robert M]

Hardware cloth(wire) is the best predator proof wire. It is very strong and predators cannot chew it. We lost many a bird because chicken wire is too flimsy.
The hardware cloth is more expensive but not in the long run as it saves lives. Nothing is more upsetting than finding your chicken house full of feathers and birds missing.
Make the investment.

Absolutely do!

Chicken wire USED to be a strong defense before manufacturers got so greedy and out-sourced the job to China, who further degraded it. Now they're doing the same thing with Hardware Cloth. It used to be galvanized, but now it's "zinc-plated". And it rusts, as does the "new" chicken wire.

It's best to shop around and find a good gauge, instead of the cheap 23 gauge junk. The lower the number, the thicker the wire and select hot-dipped galvanize.

http://www.wireclothman.com/shop.php?cPath=41

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...ords=hardware+cloth&rh=i:aps,k:hardware+cloth

 

[BigFuzzball]

We've only domestic cats and foxes (occasional rats depending on our lovely 'hygenic' neighbours - don't start me off on that subject !) to deal with as in the UK.
First run was 'custom-built' wooden one, all around the edge I loosely laid 450mm square slabs, also meant we could walk the whole perimeter even in winter, then just under the edge of those I slotted 18ins to 2ft width chicken wire strip all around, either buried under 1ins of soil or lots of bark chippings so was instantly easy to see if anything had been digging - not to mention the chippings really annoy anything digging as they don't stay put - if you've tried planting in a flower bed covered in chippings you'll understand lol.

New run (3 days old) is a larger galvanised steel one with a chicken-wire skirt so only time will tell.................will keep you informed !