RACCOON/SKUNK PROOF COOP :)

[AreYouLoved]

I have not built a coop in almost 15 years so bare with me on the lack of knowledge..

Raccoons and Skunks are a problem out here in the country. Occasionally the brave coyote.

Can anyone give suggestions on how to build a coop that will help deter these critters?

Samantha in OK

 

[nick123548]

We have neighbor dogs among other things. We have an electric wire outside about 6 inches off the ground and around the top of both the coop and the run. I hope this helps, but if you don't have power at your coop I know it will not.

 

[redhotchick]

Build one like this

 

[AreYouLoved]

RED,

How much would you say that cost you to build? I am trying to get free materials from my local FreeCycle.org group

Samantha in OK

 

[redhotchick]

I sell them for $1850 installed. I guess they run around $1100 in materials.Thats all new though.Everyone on here uses wood,but my chickens sit there with thier middle fingers up when an animal comes around! I can hear em sing"You keep a knockin,but you aint gettin in!"
If you are intrested,I go up into Oklahoma. I can help ya thru it if you wanna do it yourself too.I dont mind.

 

[AreYouLoved]

$1850 WAYYY beyond my budget. It would be cheaper to buy a storage building and modify it...for me that is...

I live in the Purcell area.

Samantha

 

[redhotchick]

Well it it built like a lil metal building.I build them the same way I do a full size barn. I just dont like wood walls.My cousin has a wooden coop that a racoon ate right thru the wall.It took 1 night for him to get in.I have never lost a bird to a preditor other than a hawk.But now I have netting covering my run.Problem solved! Here is a pic of a cage coop I have planned.I just need to build a model.I would guess around $850 for it. It has heavy screen walls at the top & pickets at the bottom.Here is a drawing

 

[AreYouLoved]

Thanks for your replies. I will consider your offer...I can't build a brick myself LOL! This will take some time to save for.

 

[ChickChickChicky]

You can do what I did, which is use 1/4" welded wire (hardware cloth) to nearly completely enclose both run & coop. I was lucky enough to get a 100' x 4' roll of hardware cloth on craigslist for $80. The run (attached to the coop) is framed with CCA 4 x 4's and covered with hardware cloth (wire is attached with scews and fender washers). Since I had a very limited space to build, half of the run sits on a concrete sidewalk, with the other half being a dirt strip that abuts the concrete driveway and privacy fence. I dug down along the driveway and base of privacy fence and buried the hardware cloth about 4"deep against the concrete, nailed it to the concrete with masonry nails, then filled the trench with concrete mix. The coop is within the run and attached to a shed, with the coop being elevated about 18" off the ground. Both shep and coop have a corrugated metal roof. When building the buildings, I attached 2' of welded wire to the base of the walls all the way around, then put the siding on top of the wire. I was also lucky enough to scrounge some Hardiboard, which is concrete siding. Not even a porcupine can chew thru Hardiboard. I still need to put hardware cloth over the outide of the windows and over the ends of the eaves. Think along the lines of using as much welded wire (hardware cloth) and Hardiboard (and/or Hardibacker if you don't care much what it looks like) and metal as you can to cover the outsides and you'll be good. Just keep checking craigslist and freecycle, you'll be amazed how much you can scrounge. I think I spent about $300 to get a shed, coop and run that should've cost over $2,500.

 

[OkChickens]

I live North of Tulsa, Ok. We have a lot of coons around here. I just recently built a 12x20 coop and we had an apron of hardware cloth about 2 feet out all the way around the coop. I built this coop for about $750 for everything except paint. It has windows, pop door, Large Door, 72 ft of Roosts, 16 next boxes, Feeders, and Waterers. It will hold about 70-80 hens that will Free Range.

Nate