Protection from Predators

[llombardo]

I am not going to lie, these stories about predators are scaring the heck out of me. We have coyotes, fox, opossums, skunks and raccoons.

I have had 4 rabbits in hutches out there for a year and the only thing I see is the squirrels running across the hutches. I do see all these predators in front of my house.

I have a 6 ft vinyl fence with about a foot of stone around the inside perimeter. Stone also blocks access under gates.

For the coop and run.. I plan on putting chicken wire under and out about 6 inches and heavy pavers of some sort around the perimeter of the run on the outside and possibly the inside. The top will be heavy duty bird netting;for now. The coop will also have user lying chicken wire plus pavers. The duck house will be in the run also and it will have chicken wire under it and a black iron fence enclosing the actual house.

I also have an attached dog run to my house which is about 10 ft across from the coop/run area. I have a dog door(still trying to get that installed) and will eventually let the dogs have access to that all night. They won't have direct contact with any predators but will be good deterrants. They are german shepherds so if they think something might be hurting anything, I'm pretty sure they will get over the fence if need be. If I hear none of this, then shame on me.

Am I missing anything here?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Chicken wire isn't predator proof, a raccoon can tear an opening and then reach in and grab a bird. Putting pavers over the apron also negates the point of an apron - the way it's suppose to work is a predator would start digging at the run border, hit wire, maybe move back a few inches, keep finding wire, and give up. By putting pavers over it the predator will start digging behind the pavers, and have a greater chance of finding the edge of the apron to be able to dig under it.

 

[llombardo]

So if the pavers are let's say 12 x12 and the chicken wire is under the paver plus the additional 6 inches plus pavers on the other side with the same distance, they will dig 24 inches across and about 8 inches down to get in? Ugh....

This is definitely for during the day, they will be locked up tight inside at night.

 

[rosemarythyme]

No reason to get pavers at all, nor to put wire inside the run itself (chickens digging on wire is another issue). I have about 18" of hardware cloth stapled down on the ground outside the run.

 

[PirateGirl]

I agree to skip the pavers. Digging predators can move them and dig around them pretty easily anyway. Also all of the predators you mentioned can tear through chicken wire. A heavier gauge welded wire will be tougher to get through.

 

[sevenfatcows]

If you can afford it, electric poultry net, especially the 48" high product from Premier1, will solve many of these problems. We installed it after a bobcat attack, got the higher version after a feral cat episode, and have had no problems with four legged predators since. We have several runs of it, enclosing about half and acre, maybe a bit more, of free range area with non predator-proof coops within. Nothing has been taken since, although I have seen (and heard) a stray dog encounter it-never saw him again, and once had to cut a tomcat out of it; poor thing had a real bad morning, until we turned it off to get him out, because it pulses. We live in a rural area backed up to the Pacific Crest Trail, so there are plenty of hungry critters, but they are choosing a different restaurant these days.

 

[llombardo]

No reason to get pavers at all, nor to put wire inside the run itself (chickens digging on wire is another issue). I have about 18" of hardware cloth stapled down on the ground outside the run.

How do you staple it to the ground? I know with the rabbits I laid it and it bacame embedded quite quickly.

 

[rosemarythyme]

You can use lawn staples or even tent stakes to anchor the hardware cloth down.

 

[llombardo]

You can use lawn staples or even tent stakes to anchor the hardware cloth down.

I got the perfect thing after I re-read it.

 

[chris.donovan96]

I have half inch plywood over my studs for my chicken coop, and after I saw a raccoon out in the yard a few nights ago, I'v been paranoid that the thing is going to get into my coop. I bought an 500 fps air pistol and have been sitting out here for three days in the bushes like some kind of vietnam vet who doesnt know the war is over. Can anybody give me some piece of mind? Or can these things really chew through brand new 1/2" plywood? Thanks, happy hunting