Racoons And Geese

[BlueLagoonRabbitry]

I ma getting 2 seb geese and was wanting to know if i used livestock fencing could coons get thrugh also i am going to cover the run with poultry netting

 

[RoyalHillsLLC]

Yes, coons can reach thru anything bigger than poultry netting. They can crawl thru amazingly small holes also. I don't think it would be as big a concern though once they got grown. I had coons get in the pens with my geese and ducks and they were only eating ducks until I caught them and fixed the holes.

 

[asher]

Like livestock panels or...? If so, yes. They can get through chicken wire as well.

Really the only wire/fencing strong enough to keep them out is hardware cloth, in my opinion. Chicken wire truly only keeps chickens in. It doesn't keep predators out, if they want to get in.

 

[BlueLagoonRabbitry]

No the wire with 1in x 2in holes put up then wrapped in chicken wire.

 

[DuckLady]

You are better off skipping the chicken wire and using hardware cloth. Raccoons also climp so putting netting over the top of your run won't keep them out.

 

[RoyalHillsLLC]

I always use a heavy wire toward the bottom like 1 x 2 dogwire, then wrap in chicken wire. I have used bird netting or chicken wire successfully over the top, but it requires constant maintenance because it is so flimsy. raccoons will figure out how to get around junctions, etc if it isn't tight. They COULD chew thru chickenwire or the netting, but I haven't had that experience yet. They always found a hole or pushed their way thru a loose spot for me.
A dog patrolling the exterior is still the best way to protect them.

 

[BlueLagoonRabbitry]

Ok so what do you reccomend i need at least 48sq ft of run space for three geese and dont want tosend a millon dollars on fencing.

 

[MissPrissy]

I would build the geese a very secure house to have ta night when you can't be around to watch them. I would build them a nice closed fenced yard attached to the house doesn't have to be huge for when you are not at home in the day. When you are home you can let them out and watch them - they will graze the yard like a little cow eating grass and getting fat.

 

[BlueLagoonRabbitry]

Ok thanks miss prissy i am building there coop out of pallets then cover the coop wil plywood and paint it then put a nice sloped roof then connect it to my fenced yard then during the day when im home ill let them free range and hopefully not let them cross breed with my african geese. Though a sebxafrican gosling might be cute.

 

[barnwife]

I have approximately 56 chickens right now, and a bunch of up n coming chicks, and a couple dozen ducks. There are many many feral cats, feral dogs, coyotes, etc out here...and my neighbors think its "fun" to tame raccoons, squirrels, and possums enough that they aren't scared of people or dogs, so we have a bunch of those critters around constantly, too. And yes, squirrels will kill chicks. They don't eat em, they just kill em and take the food.

To ward off this impending disaster, I use 1" chicken wire for everything. I cover all ventilation holes and cracks, fence repairs, and line the tops and bottoms of my poultry areas with the stuff. I have to use a push broom instead of a rake when I do my cleaning, but not a single loss due to predators in four years (so far). I got the idea from an old-timer who has been keeping chickens since they were invented, and he has no problems either... he even deals with some kind of wild mountain cat with his flocks.

The only thing I worry about is snakes. I haven't yet had trouble with those, though. I imagine hardwire cloth would take care of that problem if it is an issue for you.