Predator Proofing

[Henny Penny's Chick]

What do you use on the floor of the run? Chicken wire or plastic mesh chicken wire?

 

[Abriana]

Don't use chicken wire, use hardware cloth. Predators can easily rip through chicken wire. If you have already done the whole thing in chicken wire, you don't have to do it all over again, but use hardware cloth for the floor. They can catch their toes on it though, you can spread a layer of sod on the top to avoid broken toes.

 

[Henny Penny's Chick]

Thanks, anxious to get chicks.

 

[abraga]

X2..coons, fox, weasals and dogs easily go through chicken wire, coons will put thier hands in and grab a chicken to! Use hardware cloth. I have a solid wood bottom and have it up off the ground to keep critters from making dens under the coop.

 

[Abriana]

It is better to keep them inside in a cardboard box with heatlamp in your basement. Chicks are SUPER easy prey. Until they are around twelve weeks old, it is best and the wisest choice to have them inside at least at night.
I understand your anxiety, I am so anxious to get ducks, I'm ready to pick up some wild ones from a pond!

 

[rjohns39]

There are a couple more options. Get 3' half inch hardware cloth or welded wire. Fold it 12" in from the bottom. Run it around the outside of your coop/run and bury or cover the foot moving away from your coop/run. If you can have electric fencing, another option is to put electric fence at 3", 6", 9", and 12" around the outside, depending on the size of your coop/run a half joule charger can handle most predators. If coyotes or cats are an issue I would not go with less than 1 joule. Best of luck.

 

[rjohns39]

In the for what it's worth category... My birds go to pasture at 3 weeks. BUT they spend the first five weeks in pasture in 8X8 shelters (can hold up to 40 young birds) with wire, tin and electric fence around the bottom. After that they can move into the main pasture--but I keep them with the adults in a shelter for two weeks before releasing them into general population.

One of my first shelters built was not retrofitted with the hot wire. And one of my chickens decided to sleep in the front corner of the shelter. When I checked the shelter the next morning all I found of her was her gizzard (it wouldn't fit through the wire) I was then able to follow a trail of discarded parts out of the pasture. Our best guess was a raccoon with babies. BTW, it now has hot wires around its base.

 

[Birdinhand]

hardware cloth, and as much of it as you can afford. enveloping the entire coup, even under ground is the best. second best is installing it two feet down at a 45 degree angle away from the coop (that way when the critter digs, they lose ground as they go down and get descouraged). if you go under, put down about 6-8" of soil over top so they can still dust and scratch. I use a screw and a washer as a come along to get the wire nice and tight against the board you are nailing into and use galvanized "U" nails to secure it once taught, then back out the screw and move to the next length. no where, including the door gaps, should there be more than a half inch (the size of an adult rat's head). it's not cheap or easy, but if you make the investment up front, you will avoid the heart ache and stress and extra work later when a critter is actively taking chickens each night. everyone I know who avoid spending the money up front ends up paying later.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

It is better to keep them inside in a cardboard box with heatlamp in your basement. Chicks are SUPER easy prey. Until they are around twelve weeks old, it is best and the wisest choice to have them inside at least at night.
I understand your anxiety, I am so anxious to get ducks, I'm ready to pick up some wild ones from a pond!

Mine have never been indoors, or under a heat lamp. Brooded day olds in coop under a heAt plate with overnight temps in the 20's they weaned themselves off the heat at 4 weeks.

Gary

 

[BYCforlife]

X2..coons, fox, weasals and dogs easily go through chicken wire, coons will put thier hands in and grab a chicken to! Use hardware cloth. I have a solid wood bottom and have it up off the ground to keep critters from making dens under the coop.

Is everybody's chicken wire different from mine? Our neighbor's dog was trying to get into my coop by slamming against the chicken wire and she didn't get through.