Predator proofing

[bwauck]

One month ago, I had a raccoon dig under sunken cinder blocks and chomp on my 12 yr old ducks bill. I found a vet who sent us home with antibiotics. Twice a day for 14 days. He is healing up! Puncture wounds have healed over and bills CAN regenerate. I'm putting tightly, woven and coated wire mesh under the pen and covering it with sand to protect his feet. I will build my chicken tractor the same way so I know they are safe. Raccoons are stealthy. They are around or will be passing through shortly. They are also attracted to cherry trees so I'm cutting mine down. Fortunately ,something scared the raccoon off or this story would not have had a happy ending.

 

[doodledoo2u2]

So what is a good way to keep predators from digging under ? Hardware cloth on the bottom of the coop ?

 

[doodledoo2u2]

Zappola...sounded good though ! LOL..

 

[Duckmuck2]

That's probably what I'm going to end up doing. I'm going to put that across the bottom then dig down 6-8" and sink the coop in and shovel all the displaced dirt into the coop and spread it over the wire to protect the ducks feet. The only bummer is is that hardware cloth is super expensive. If ordered online can find 48" 100' for like $110 and then it only costs $94 to ship it when the same roll at a hardware store costs $175. Zappola would definitely be cheaper

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

So what is a good way to keep predators from digging under ? Hardware cloth on the bottom of the coop ?

A lot of folks employ an "anti-digging skirt" - this is 1+ feet wide strip of hardware cloth that extends out along the outside perimeter of the pen (or coop). You can dig down and bury it or lay it on top of the ground and anchor, cover, etc. When a predator wants into your pen they get right up to the fence first, then try to dig down and under. With the skirt they will be unable to dig, become frustrated and leave - genearlly speaking they are not going to think things through to move out away from the edge to find where the skirting stops to dig there because that is now how a predator trying to get into somewhere functions. From a function standpoint, this is superior, imo, to covering the floor of the run because of how it works with the predators approach - it is also more cost efficient when working with larger pens as covering the entire floor would require more wire than running 1 foot wide around the outside.

 

[Duckmuck2]

One month ago, I had a raccoon dig under sunken cinder blocks and chomp on my 12 yr old ducks bill. I found a vet who sent us home with antibiotics. Twice a day for 14 days. He is healing up! Puncture wounds have healed over and bills CAN regenerate. I'm putting tightly, woven and coated wire mesh under the pen and covering it with sand to protect his feet. I will build my chicken tractor the same way so I know they are safe. Raccoons are stealthy. They are around or will be passing through shortly. They are also attracted to cherry trees so I'm cutting mine down. Fortunately ,something scared the raccoon off or this story would not have had a happy ending.

I'm glad he is healing, that must have been a real bummer but at least it was only a damaged bill. That is why I am going to bite the bullet and spend a wad on enough hardware cloth to seal the bottom of the coop.

 

[Duckmuck2]

A lot of folks employ an "anti-digging skirt" - this is 1+ feet wide strip of hardware cloth that extends out along the outside perimeter of the pen (or coop). You can dig down and bury it or lay it on top of the ground and anchor, cover, etc. When a predator wants into your pen they get right up to the fence first, then try to dig down and under. With the skirt they will be unable to dig, become frustrated and leave - genearlly speaking they are not going to think things through to move out away from the edge to find where the skirting stops to dig there because that is now how a predator trying to get into somewhere functions. From a function standpoint, this is superior, imo, to covering the floor of the run because of how it works with the predators approach - it is also more cost efficient when working with larger pens as covering the entire floor would require more wire than running 1 foot wide around the outside.

That is a good idea, I'll probably just do that.

 

[bwauck]

I'm building tractors for my duck and new chicks. I'm also going to attempt a movable pen. My first duck pen I buried the wood with a wire perimeter. Rotten wood was the result after a few years. It was a slap it up project that I wish I had planned better. Getting them outside seems to come with an urgency (lol from what I've read. Pooping machines in my laundry room( new chicks) , a spoiled duck who wants inside a lot and a dog = lots of choirs but I'm determined to plan better. Pleasing to the eye would be nice this time

 

[Duckmuck2]

Ducklings are definitely poop factories. I had mine inside for a bit then I started to just bring them in at night for safety reasons. I'll have their predator proof coop done tonight, I'm really looking forward to them just being outside!