Thee way to protect your flock from predators???

[jmc]

I have a military style chicken run, you might say.

I've read and known of people who have lost chickens to predators. The reason they lost their birds? THEY DID NOT SHUT THEM IN AT NIGHT, BUT LEFT THE CHICKEN DOOR OPEN.

As they have admitted, if they had closed up tight at roosting time, there would have been no loss. The predator may have gotten into the enclosure, but, in a certain sense, who cares? since he couldn't get at the birds.

I live out here in Wild Kingdom (in MA)--all I'm missing is Marlin Perkins--and I have coyotes howling at least twice a day at the very edge of our property when the monastery bells ring for Mass, etc.!!! We have Black Bears on the property, Fishers, Foxes, Skunks, Racoons, (O)possoums, Weasels, Ferrets, Mice and Rats, Hawks by day, and Owls by night.
All right on the property and around the coop.

To me, the only way to keep the chickens safe is to shut them in at night. If you do that, there is no need to build a military arsenal for your chickens to browse in during the day.

I dare say, unless you have lots of $$ to spend, better to have a chicken wire range fence and close your birds in at night than anything else

Any thoughts

 

[EngieKisses]

I agree with that whole heartedly. You have way more predators out where your at then here, wow....

 

[LynneP]

Sounds like our place! The only thing I'd add is that you'll have greater success by investing in 1/2" hardware cloth instead of chicken wire, through which predators can reach and get birds. We also buried some of ours from the base of the run underground. We continue to put birds in before sunset even though the run surrounds the coop sufficiently. Insie the barn, the location of our coop, we added a porch to create extra security inside the barn. This can be seen in my home page, below. Lots of pics!

Predator protection not only gives you ease of mind it makes for better layers, and adds value to your property.

 

[Anny]

I agree too, but I have alot of stray and feral dogs and cats where I live, but I'm in the city. The feral dogs don't care what time of the day it is so having a strong run is a much for me.

But closing the door is a must.