Urban areas still have a food chain, just different than the country type. Adding chickens to the mix will often bring in predators you didn't even know you had.
I knew we had coons, opossum, hawks. I did not know we had fox! I also did not know coon hands can fit through 1in chicken wire and that chickens are dumb enough to sleep with their head within coon finger reach, leaving dead chickens in the cage/coop with a naked eaten off neck sticking out. Yeah... SO didn't know that until it happened.
However, if your area is surrounded by fencing, dogs, and the like, your concern will mostly be night-time scavengers, hawks, and chicken escape.
This time around, my chickens are in the back yard with the duo of 90 pound Shepherds, and a yappy little new addition for good measure. My female is quickly learning the chickens are pets, and she's to guard them. She's taken to sleeping the day away 10 feet from their door, you know, in case a squirrel makes an attempt on their food.
So my run is designed to keep my dogs out (just in case... can we say 2x12 lumber? Chew through THAT) heavy crumbled concrete chunks around the outside perimeter, heavy duty welded rabbit wire with little bitty squares... a mouse can't even get through. Or snake.. nothing. Reinforced with more wood. Corners are giant poles, big monster 4in nails (heaven forbid I ever have to tear this thing down). That's the bottom 5 feet. The top will just be something to keep chickens in and hawks out, since there's a sturdy little rabbit wire door that'll be shut to the coop. Sure, you might find your way over the top of the run at 3am... but you're not getting farther than that!
Don't ever under estimate the stupidity of a chicken either. Surely they're not dumb enough to fly in with the neighbor dog. There's always one...
I knew we had coons, opossum, hawks. I did not know we had fox! I also did not know coon hands can fit through 1in chicken wire and that chickens are dumb enough to sleep with their head within coon finger reach, leaving dead chickens in the cage/coop with a naked eaten off neck sticking out. Yeah... SO didn't know that until it happened.
However, if your area is surrounded by fencing, dogs, and the like, your concern will mostly be night-time scavengers, hawks, and chicken escape.
This time around, my chickens are in the back yard with the duo of 90 pound Shepherds, and a yappy little new addition for good measure. My female is quickly learning the chickens are pets, and she's to guard them. She's taken to sleeping the day away 10 feet from their door, you know, in case a squirrel makes an attempt on their food.
So my run is designed to keep my dogs out (just in case... can we say 2x12 lumber? Chew through THAT) heavy crumbled concrete chunks around the outside perimeter, heavy duty welded rabbit wire with little bitty squares... a mouse can't even get through. Or snake.. nothing. Reinforced with more wood. Corners are giant poles, big monster 4in nails (heaven forbid I ever have to tear this thing down). That's the bottom 5 feet. The top will just be something to keep chickens in and hawks out, since there's a sturdy little rabbit wire door that'll be shut to the coop. Sure, you might find your way over the top of the run at 3am... but you're not getting farther than that!
Don't ever under estimate the stupidity of a chicken either. Surely they're not dumb enough to fly in with the neighbor dog. There's always one...