Raccoon proofing my coop. New to chickens. Please help!

[JollyGreenGiant]

Hi All,

I am new to raising chickens and would love some input! I am renting a property in the suburbs in Washington that came with an old coop that needs some love. My primary predators are raccoons. The little chicken run currently has chicken wire attached. I added a shelf below where the hens will roost to catch manure, and have a drawer that will sit on the shelf (not pictured). I have it up on cinderblocks while I work on it. I stupidly reinforced the chicken wire on the run with heavy duty staples before I did much research into raccoons. I read that they are able to rip through chicken wire.

If I add a secure ramp door to the coop, and 1/4 hardware cloth (secured with U nails) on the under side covering the opening above the "manure shelf", will this be sufficient to protect my girls from raccoons? Can I get away with leaving the chicken wire on the chicken run or should I replace it with 1/4" hardware cloth? Also, the previous folks laid down hardware cloth on the floor of the run. Won't this hurt the hens if they try to scratch/forage in there?

Any input or general tips about my coop would be wonderful. Please check out the photos below!

Thank you!

 

[CurlyQuail]

I would change all the chicken wire for hardware cloth. Never underestimate a determined raccoon. As for the floor, I’m not sure how other folks do it but I have a layer of hardware cloth UNDER the dirt in the run. So the chickens are unaware of it but any digging predators can’t get through.

 

[aart]

Any input or general tips about my coop would be wonderful.

It's tiny and has no ventilation.
See the article about SPACE linked in my signature.

 

[JollyGreenGiant]

It's tiny and has no ventilation.
See the article about SPACE linked in my signature.

Yeah I thought it looked pretty small. Is the "nesting/roosting box" too small? I have three chicks, so I have time to make some changes. The picture is deceptive, but there are three places in a T formation on those wooden perches over the manure box. Adding in ventilation will be straightward. I plan on letting them free range in a large fenced run outside the coop during the day. They will only be shut in at night time into the nesting/roosting box, and won't be stuck in that little run.

I'll take a look at the link in your signature! Thanks for the input

 

[JollyGreenGiant]

I would change all the chicken wire for hardware cloth. Never underestimate a determined raccoon. As for the floor, I’m not sure how other folks do it but I have a layer of hardware cloth UNDER the dirt in the run. So the chickens are unaware of it but any digging predators can’t get through.

Thank you for the input! I'll swap out the chicken wire, just to be safe.

 

[aart]

Yeah I thought it looked pretty small.

Put a tape measure to it...coop itself and run foot prints.
Might be OK for 3.

but there are three places in a T formation on those wooden perches over the manure box

I see the T now, measure the length of both those roosts.
Does the poop just fall down into the run area below?

 

[JollyGreenGiant]

Put a tape measure to it...coop itself and run foot prints.
Might be OK for 3.


I see the T now, measure the length of both those roosts.
Does the poop just fall down into the run area below?

The run, including space under the nest box is 74" x 48"
The box is 48" x 25"
The T roost bars are 24" one bar, and 15" on the other

The poop used to fall into the run. I can see a build up from the previous residents... I installed a shelf/drawer that will catch the manure.

Thank you for helping!

 

[Ryguy3684]

I left the hardware cloth on the sides of the run about 8" longer. I dug a trench for the extra length to continue under ground, then packed the dirt back in. That way, if a racoon tries to dig under, they'll have to dig an extra 8" under ground.

 

[Flockincrazy]

I do the hot pepper trick i use ghost peppers crush them especially the seeds and spread it around your run and coop reapply every month and after big rains