Question About Predators Scaling Wooden Fence

[MPORT]

Hello! I'm new to BYC and am curious about what predators may try to get in my back yard. I recently moved to the country outside of Lubbock, Texas, and am planning to start a small backyard flock in the spring. Not exactly sure what predators are in my area besides coyotes - I know that there are foxes inside the city limits, but I'm not sure if they live in the cotton fields where I am.

Anyhow, my main question concerns what predators may be able to get over a 7 foot wooden privacy fence, or if I even have anything to worry about. Planning on having a coop with attached run, allowing the hens to free range in the yard during the day. Thanks for reading!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Raccoons, possums, Fox, weasel, mink, to name a few. Hawks don't care about fences except for sitting on.

 

[17 chickens]

Snakes.... You should check your local community coop for more info, Also check your local feed store for info too...

 

[Zoomie]

Many predators can scale or jump a fence. Then you have dogs or foxes or coyotes who will dig underneath as well. Not to mention weasels and skunks who seem to be able to get underneath anything.

I have a lot of predators, and so I built a run with a net over the top of it. The net stops flying predators, and at least slows down others. It's made of welded wire with wire buried in the ground 18" all around it. My coop has a cement floor, which stops mice and rats digging in. I would say, build very secure, and it won't be a concern for you. This works for me, but of course your own situation might be different.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Welcome from NW Mississippi!!...
Well, there are coons, possums, bobcats, and cougars that can climb it, and there are fox, coyote, and dogs that can dig under it....also, there are hawks, eagles and owls that can soar over it....if there are chicks or young birds planned, there are many snakes and rats that can come into play....many snakes eat eggs. Ya may be in a situation that things will be fine for a little while, but sooner or later something will show up. Ya mentioned that there are cotton fields around, these provide excellent cover during growing season and when the machinery is running the animals will leave until they stop....so, that increases the chances and as the sounds and smells fill the air, they will be drawn to check it out....especially during the winter when prey could become harder to find and they have young to feed. So, I wouldn't put a ton of faith in that 7' wood fence....tho, it is a good start, but it is only your 1st line of defense....some hot wire added could really help ya and a predator proof coop and run would go a long way in giving ya peace of mind....but free ranging, unsupervised always has risks.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Raccoons, possums, Fox, weasel, mink, to name a few. Hawks don't care about fences except for sitting on.

I would add bobcats, great horned owls, coyotes, red fox, gray fox, and maybe even the neighbors dog to your list of chicken killers. Hawks and owls use things like a wooden fence like you & I use the menu at the McDonald's drive in window. That means as a convenient place to sit while they pick and chose which of your chickens they are going to eat today. In fact because most hawk attacks are launched from the ground a fence is a hawk friendly way for a raptor to pen down or corner the chicken they chose to eat today.

However a bare ground wire at the top on one side of the wooden "privacy" fence, and a hot or electrified wire near the top on the opposite side of the fence, both wires close enough to each other that any hawk landing on the fence will complete the circuit and get a painful shock may well prove to be a good method of protecting your birds. Also any varmit that choses to climb your fence will also get a nasty surprise when they jump to the top or scale your fence.