Racoon Proof

[tsperry88]

I used 16ga stainless 1"x1" hardware cloth on all windows and soffit openings. It's attached every 5" with heavy 1" fence staples then a bead of liquid nails and a board nailed over. It's not coming off, but I have a long window with a roost about 12.5" away. Is there any chance a racoon could reach a bird and hurt it? I had considered adding 1/4" mesh to that window as a precaution.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It certainly wouldn't hurt to add the hardware cloth near the roost.
Just a word of caution, mink and weasels can get into a 1X1" opening.

 

[tsperry88]

That's concerning. I have never seen either, but maybe I should add something smaller. It would be easy on the windows. The soffit and gable vents I built in during construction, so it would be harder.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They aren't likely to reach the soffit or gables like a raccoon could.
I don't know where you are located but weasels are pretty well everywhere in the world.
I'm in my 60s and grew up on two different farms with lots of chickens, pheasant, cattle, hogs and other animals. I had never seen mink in my life until Walmart built a store down the hill from my house and in the process, cutting 80 acres of woods along a creek which then sent the mink up to me. In the course of a week, they killed $4,000 worth of my birds squeezing into the tiniest crack and killing every bird in the house each night.
Mink came close to driving me out of the chicken business all together. I spent a week burning chicken carcasses.

 

[tsperry88]

I'm in eastern VA. Apparently we don't have weasles this far east in the state. An article I read said one had been "sighted" in Caroline county, which is nearby. Mink we do have, but I have never seen one.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They are secretive. People go their entire lives not seeing a predator but they are still there.
I'm amazed how many people say things like "we don't have predators where we live". Yeah right!
Apparently least weasels aren't that far east.
https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/information/least-weasel/
However, it looks like the entire state of VA is populated with long tailed weasels.
https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/information/long-tailed-weasel/

 

[tsperry88]

Is this latch good enough for the man door?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yeah, that should be good. If you want to remove all doubt, go with a padlock in the latch.
For raccoons, you can just leave the key in the lock. For two legged predators, remove it.

 

[tsperry88]

This post cost me $80 and several hours All outside soffits and windows have 1x1 mesh. Inside all soffits and gables and windows are getting 1/2x1/2 mesh. All stapled and getting a board nailed over. Any creature would have to go through 2 layers of quality mesh.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It looks very nice.