Tell How Predators Got Your Chickens. Save Somebody Else From The Bad Experience

[okallthis4eggs]

Thank you for the replies everyone. Do you think with 1/2" hardware cloth on the run and underneath with 12' sq stones and my girls locked up in their upper coop they'll be safe? ANd should I do anything to further secure the pop door that is pulled up at night? If so, what? It is inside the run. Again this is an A frame with the coop above the run and I'll do whatever it takes to secure it.


I'd shoot anything after my girls but I live in a tight neighborhood. I've spent many an hour back home in FL shooting squirrels to keep them out of my pecan trees and bird feeders but here in Central California I couldn't get away with it. Sigh...

Thanks again,

Donna

In regard to hardware cloth Donna.. 1/2" X 1/2" hardware cloth is what I and many others use. With the exception of a bear nothing is going to break thru hardware cloth. At least in Kentucky with the predators we have here. I didn't use 1/2" X 1" because my fear was a coon could get his front paw thru a 1/2" X 1" square and grab a bird. They have been known to do that even tho they can't pull it thru a hole that small they could still kill the chicken. I know they can't do that with the 1/2" X 1/2" hardware cloth so thats was my choice. If you feel your run might not keep a predator out then by all means put a good locking latch on your pop door and lock it at night. If you post pictures of your setup I will be glad to point out any weakness I see and I am sure others will too. Hope this helps

 

[Rmstuck]

Has anyone had problems with stray cats.. I walked out tonight to make sure everyone was in bed and a stray cat was acting like it was going to make a run at my chickens in their coop. Does anyone set up have heart traps just for precautionary methods?

 

[cheeka]

I have one feral cat... it makes very strange growling noises, so it's recognizable immediately... this year, he looks like he might have found a "home" because he sure looks in better shape, he's long haired and was horribly matted, now he looks cared for but still stalking the hill and gully. this summer, he discovered the new chickens and was around LOTS more often. I shot it with a pellet gun at least a half a dozen times, yet, it keeps coming back. Because he now looks like he might be someone's pet, I'm hesitant to kill him. I've used have-a-heart traps several times, but never got that cat... got my Ollie a few times tho', pretty funny, he's quite happy in there and has tried to get in them when they are in storage and "closed", Ollie has his own "cat man cave" kennel cab with a big fluffy pillow inside. guess it's not "cagey" enough.
I have several different sizes of trap, for small critters like rats, medium for coon sized beasts and one nice large one that will hold a medium sized dog. not a bad thing to keep handy... I recommend the mid size unit if you are only having problems with cats... Good luck!

 

[Donna Lynn]

OKallthis4eggs,

Yes, we do have a german shepherd/lab mix and you are oh, so correct. I don't trust him. He will never have access to my chickens. I keep the girls secure if he is outside and when I move them from the coop run to their play pen, he is inside the house. He's a good dog but I think he would love to play with a chicken and play it to death like I've seen him do to squirrels. No way do I trust him even though DH thinks he will eventually get "used" to them.

I wish I had a way to secure my pop door better. Even though it's inside the coop, it's raises and lowers, so a slide door isn't an option. As we have it right now, there are slide bolts and a cable on the outside of the coop. The bolts slide forward at night to hold the door in place but there are gaps, maybe quarter to 3/8 an inch around the door. The coop below is covered with 1/2" HWC, has 2x4 wood framing sitting on dirt, HWC that extends out 2 feet horizontally and 1 foot next to the privacy fence. There's dirt on top, then 12" stones and deep litter. My doors are secured with double hooks that have springs and extra wood framing. Here are photos:



Sorry forgot to change the angle but this is the egg door and vent. The doors on the vent are just for warmth when lowered in winter.

Egg door spring latch hook and vents are HWC on the inside

Turn bolt on egg door

Front doors security. Both doors have a slide bolt and share one in the middle. I could put carabiners for additional security to slide bolts but haven't yet.

1/2" HWC inside vents stapled with 3/4" staples to 2x4's

Pop door is down and Mildred is being nosy.

Pop door up with 1/8"gap on sides

These are the slide bolts holding up the door when closed. There is a large gap maybe 1" there.

Hinges on pop door upper left corner of photo, silver thing. About 2" across, there are two.

Slide bolts, one with vanilla air freshner to keep down the flies, LOL. and the pull cable for lifting and lowering door.

Sideways Close up of bolts pulled out and cable with door lowered. I do have to pull up on the cable to pull out the bolts and lower the door.

HWC on bottom of the A frame that covers the ends of the run under the coop., HWC stapled with 3/4" staples and covered with wood strips.

This is looking down the door bottoms of the run. It's kinda hard to tell but there is an extra wood piece inside at the bottom

Coop door security. Double hook spring latches

This is my fear that DH sorta of poo-poos, when you pull on the doors, even latched, there is a gap. Advice?


HWC on back and front is stapled inside

HWC on the front and back of the run underneath the coop is secured inward about a 1/2" with 3/4" staples in 2x4's every about every 3 inches.

Thanks for any advice~!

 

[okallthis4eggs]

OKallthis4eggs,

Yes, we do have a german shepherd/lab mix and you are oh, so correct. I don't trust him. He will never have access to my chickens. I keep the girls secure if he is outside and when I move them from the coop run to their play pen, he is inside the house. He's a good dog but I think he would love to play with a chicken and play it to death like I've seen him do to squirrels. No way do I trust him even though DH thinks he will eventually get "used" to them.

I wish I had a way to secure my pop door better. Even though it's inside the coop, it's raises and lowers, so a slide door isn't an option. As we have it right now, there are slide bolts and a cable on the outside of the coop. The bolts slide forward at night to hold the door in place but there are gaps, maybe quarter to 3/8 an inch around the door. The coop below is covered with 1/2" HWC, has 2x4 wood framing sitting on dirt, HWC that extends out 2 feet horizontally and 1 foot next to the privacy fence. There's dirt on top, then 12" stones and deep litter. My doors are secured with double hooks that have springs and extra wood framing. Here are photos:



Sorry forgot to change the angle but this is the egg door and vent. The doors on the vent are just for warmth when lowered in winter.

Egg door spring latch hook and vents are HWC on the inside

Turn bolt on egg door

Front doors security. Both doors have a slide bolt and share one in the middle. I could put carabiners for additional security to slide bolts but haven't yet.

1/2" HWC inside vents stapled with 3/4" staples to 2x4's

Pop door is down and Mildred is being nosy.

Pop door up with 1/8"gap on sides

These are the slide bolts holding up the door when closed. There is a large gap maybe 1" there.

Hinges on pop door upper left corner of photo, silver thing. About 2" across, there are two.

Slide bolts, one with vanilla air freshner to keep down the flies, LOL. and the pull cable for lifting and lowering door.

Sideways Close up of bolts pulled out and cable with door lowered. I do have to pull up on the cable to pull out the bolts and lower the door.

HWC on bottom of the A frame that covers the ends of the run under the coop., HWC stapled with 3/4" staples and covered with wood strips.

This is looking down the door bottoms of the run. It's kinda hard to tell but there is an extra wood piece inside at the bottom

Coop door security. Double hook spring latches

This is my fear that DH sorta of poo-poos, when you pull on the doors, even latched, there is a gap. Advice?


HWC on back and front is stapled inside

HWC on the front and back of the run underneath the coop is secured inward about a 1/2" with 3/4" staples in 2x4's every about every 3 inches.

Thanks for any advice~!

Looks like a really secure coop. I really like the wooden strips over top of the edges of the hardware cloth. On mine I put strips of wood around all of the edges of the hardware cloth and put drywall screws thru the strips to hold it. Super strong that way. I don't see any weakness but I can't tell much about the door situation and the gap there. My thought to fix the gap would be close and latch the door then cut a wood strip to fill the void and either screw it to the door or to the sides of the opening until it meets the door when the door is in the closed position. The latches you use are great. Love the hardware cloth. Good job

 

[Donna Lynn]

Thank you! I really tried to research it all before we built it but I just worry. We spent four very hot 105-109 degree weekends constructing it. The seem very happy and I want to keep them that way, alive and happy!

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Winter is coming. Predators are searching for food. Secure your coop and run before it gets too cold

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

OK they have been searching all summer! Searching and snacking. No wonder chickens hatch out so many at a time. Everything eats chicken, everything! I am currently clearing a road along the bottom edge of the hill where the chickens seem to disappear. Have seen many well worn trails...will set up a blind with a long sight line and my turn to sit and wait. Little fatherless predators. Wish me luck! I need to balance out the ratio in my favor. I also have not seen any wild turkeys or grouse this summer.:<

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

What happened to my post? !

 

[okallthis4eggs]

OK they have been searching all summer! Searching and snacking. No wonder chickens hatch out so many at a time. Everything eats chicken, everything! I am currently clearing a road along the bottom edge of the hill where the chickens seem to disappear. Have seen many well worn trails...will set up a blind with a long sight line and my turn to sit and wait. Little fatherless predators. Wish me luck! I need to balance out the ratio in my favor. I also have not seen any wild turkeys or grouse this summer.:<

Go getum Tiger. Use your shotgun and take no prisoners. Predator populations are out of control. Everybody should help with the problem like you do.