Safe?

[EmmaRainboe]

You need to make the run more secure. If a three year old can open it, a raccoon can. It only takes one time to wipe out a flock. Don't mean to be debby downer but if you change to hardware cloth everywhere now then you will have less losses later. Chicken wire is about as secure as tin foil

The actual door to the run is secure, with two latches, one of the pull then hook and one door latch thingy. Chicken wire has been my main concern knowing how unsafe it is, my mother just insists a raccoon can't get though it, so I was wondering if I am just over paranoid.

 

[tripletfeb]

Not over paranoid. Raccoons can come out during the day too. Chicken wire should be replaced with 1/2" hardware cloth everywhere

 

[EmmaRainboe]

Not over paranoid. Raccoons can come out during the day too. Chicken wire should be replaced with 1/2" hardware cloth everywhere

Great! thanks, good to know I'm not just over reacting.

 

[human1]

The actual door to the run is secure, with two latches, one of the pull then hook and one door latch thingy. Chicken wire has been my main concern knowing how unsafe it is, my mother just insists a raccoon can't get though it, so I was wondering if I am just over paranoid.

im not sure about racoons, but some of the larger animlas can

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

I really don't think it's worth the expense to go that far. At the most, I'd invest in hardware cloth up the sides of the run, but chicken wire or even netting is fine for the top, especially if you are close enough to hear any commotion while they are in their run.

 

[K0k0shka]

Raccoons can chew through chicken wire. They can also be active during daylight hours as well. The raccoons that come to our property don’t care what time of day it is, I’ve seen them in the afternoon on sunny summer days. They climb and they chew. Securing only the bottom few feet of the run walls is just asking for trouble.

OP you mentioned string - so is your chicken door an auto door? If yes, is there a way to install it on the inside of the coop, so the string isn’t accessible from the outside? If you do that, and nail a small board across the bottom on the front, to make a lip overlapping the door’s bottom edge, the raccoons won’t be able to slip their hands underneath and pull the door up, and no string to grab either. I have an auto door with a string, too, but it’s mounted on the inside.

 

[hayley3]

Great! thanks, good to know I'm not just over reacting.

You are not over-reacting. I've had raccoons PEEL the metal layer off of my garage door on one corner just to get to the chicken food. I would just make sure your chicken door is secure. to begin with. I always have a gate latch with a lock or carbiner to make it more difficult to open. Coons can definitely tear up chicken wire.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

Raccoons can chew through chicken wire. They can also be active during daylight hours as well. The raccoons that come to our property don’t care what time of day it is, I’ve seen them in the afternoon on sunny summer days. They climb and they chew. Securing only the bottom few feet of the run walls is just asking for trouble.

OP you mentioned string - so is your chicken door an auto door? If yes, is there a way to install it on the inside of the coop, so the string isn’t accessible from the outside? If you do that, and nail a small board across the bottom on the front, to make a lip overlapping the door’s bottom edge, the raccoons won’t be able to slip their hands underneath and pull the door up, and no string to grab either. I have an auto door with a string, too, but it’s mounted on the inside.

Oh thats a great idea! Yes we have automatic chicken door, I'll see about reinstalling it the other way.

 

[K0k0shka]

Oh thats a great idea! Yes we have automatic chicken door, I'll see about reinstalling it the other way.

Lots of people install it on the outside, but that never made sense to me. Aside from not giving crafty predators access so the string, installing it on the inside also protects the motor and moving pieces from the weather.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

Lots of people install it on the outside, but that never made sense to me. Aside from not giving crafty predators access so the string, installing it on the inside also protects the and moving pieces from the weather.

I guess my main question with installing it on the inside is how would it know when to open? I believe ours opens when there is enough light. I would feel a lot safer having it on the inside knowing little raccoons can't open it so easy. We have the ability to make our light in our coop turn on at a specific time, if that could activate it too and the system doesn't require it to be solar (it's battery powered so the sun doesn't actually power it, just triggers it), although I don't think we could install it on the inside if it has to be solar, because there would be no way to power it.