Predators during the day

[Xaldin]

I have 4x 2 week old chicks that will be moving outside sometime in the next month and was wondering. If I left them outside the coop during the day in my backyard, my property is fenced in with 4ft high chain link to keep them on my property, would I have to worry about anything getting at them during the day? I live in big city so the houses are close together. The only things I have seen around are raccoons, skunks, and the occasional cat in my back yard. Excluding the cats I only have seen them at night. So my question is if I left them out back would they be safe to free range by themselves most of the day? We can not have a roo in my city so that is not an option.

 

[azygous]

Chain link won't prevent a chick from poking its little head through and getting it clipped by a cat or something else. There are predators in the city such as possums that most people never see, and they are active during the day as well as night. Cats can climb chain link easily. And you may have other predators that can climb that you are unaware of.

You also have hawks and owls in the city that will swoop in and claim a baby chick as a snack.

Even if you had a predator proof enclosure, I wouldn't leave chicks that age unattended outdoors. Temperature changes, sudden storms, and events we have no way of predicting can kill a chick through over-exposure and hypothermia.

 

[SueT]

What city do you live in? They are probably OK, but any nocturnal predators can come out in the day...and there are daytime predators such as hawks...
It helps to have lots of cover and hiding places.
Also, some breeds are better at evading predators than others. What breeds do you have?
Lots if things to consider, I know. I have free ranged, lost birds, locked up the survivors only to lose one to illness that I blamed on confinement. Dogs have torn thru 2 coops owned by friends, and the birds inside had no escape, and would have had a better chance outside. . So anyway, I have no conclusions here...but I'm going to let mine free range again after my pullets start laying.
Good luck!

 

[Xaldin]

What city do you live in? They are probably OK, but any nocturnal predators can come out in the day...and there are daytime predators such as hawks...
It helps to have lots of cover and hiding places.
Also, some breeds are better at evading predators than others. What breeds do you have?
Lots if things to consider, I know. I have free ranged, lost birds, locked up the survivors only to lose one to illness that I blamed on confinement. Dogs have torn thru 2 coops owned by friends, and the birds inside had no escape, and would have had a better chance outside. . So anyway, I have no conclusions here...but I'm going to let mine free range again after my pullets start laying.
Good luck!

I live in Cleveland, Ohio. I am nearly finished constructing the coop which is a has a 4x4 space inside and it is off the ground 3ft with Hardware Cloth on the outside and chicken wire on the inside, so there is about a 2 inch gap between the 2 different wires so nothing can easily grab them. This is on all sides underneath the coop and buried 2 inches into the ground.

The breeds I have are 2 Polish Crested (Gold laced and black white crested, 1 Buff Orpington, and 1 White Cochin.

I was debating making a full enclosure off the bottom of the coop probably a 4x8 and 3 ft tall or just putting up an area about 20x30 that is chicken wired in where I would let them out into.

I wanted to let them out when we are in the backyard as well but mostly wanted a safe space for them to roam around in when they are not attended too.

 

[SueT]

(Those breeds probably are not very good at predator evasion...crested can't see too well.)
Coop sounds good! As for the run, what about doing both...start with the smaller secure enclosure, and eventually make a bigger space for when you are out....

 

[Krazyquilts]

Chain link won't prevent a chick from poking its little head through and getting it clipped by a cat or something else. There are predators in the city such as possums that most people never see, and they are active during the day as well as night. Cats can climb chain link easily. And you may have other predators that can climb that you are unaware of.

You also have hawks and owls in the city that will swoop in and claim a baby chick as a snack.

Even if you had a predator proof enclosure, I wouldn't leave chicks that age unattended outdoors. Temperature changes, sudden storms, and events we have no way of predicting can kill a chick through over-exposure and hypothermia.

I agree. They are still too young to be left outside unattended, and especially not if they aren't in a predator-proof enclosure.

 

[jvls1942]

too young yet.
a 2 week old chick can squeeze through a cyclone fence , I think. smaller breeds might not have to squeeze too much..

a rooster will not protect a few hens, or a flock, either.. that is the Bambi syndrome.

......jiminwisc........

 

[Xaldin]

Thanks everyone for you input! I will go with the more secure full enclosure for the time being.