Ways to Protect Coop and Run Against Predators?

[aart]

Maybe also mounting a few Solar Nite Guards on the outside corners?

http://www.niteguard.com/pages/how-it-works-the-nite-guard-solar-light

Nah..have seen multiple night cam pics showing preds pacing a way to get into a coop/run with nite guard in the pic.
Spend your money on mesh.

 

[Sublight]

They are smart sneaky turds I used to think they were nice and pretty until I got chickens

I feel the say way about raccoons. From wow, they are really cool, smart animals! Cool!
Now after loosing chickens to one, and seeing the big one leaving my pen with my roosters feathers hanging out of its mouth....
Now they all have a death warrant out. The warrant is to be executed upon sight.

 

[Sublight]

If you have the area and predators like we do. We have had better luck with adding two LGD dogs out there to guard and updating our ar-15 for range and a nv scope.

Scott

That is my plan. You can pick up a low end suppressor for you AR, for about 500-600 bucks, and you never have to worry about shooting at night again. Nobody will ever know. Just make sure you buy sub-sonic rounds.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I just shared this on another post---figured some might not see it there so I copied/pasted it here.

I wanted to tell you all what I have done and it helped a lot back before I got my GP dog. My chicken yard is about 3/8th's of a mile from my home so a baby monitor will not work for me, but might for a lot of you----if you are in range set-up one---for sure monitor during the night---always have a gun(if you are in a area you can) light, slip on pants and shoes ready if something starts happening in your coop. you might have to cut it off in the early AM when the roosters start crowing---LOL so you can sleep a little longer. Being mine is so far away I set-up a CB radio at the chicken yard with a flip flop timer I made. The timer turns the cb on with a power mic that is tied compressed so I can hear everything in the area of the coop/pen. The cb stays on 10 seconds and off 30 seconds 24/7 7 days a week. Most everyone that knew me knowed I had this set-up on a base antenna up in the air. CBers----some as far away as 30 miles in neighboring towns say that some nights they turn to that channel and just listen to nature---the frogs on the lake close to the chicken pens, listen to the crickets and for sure the roosters crowing in the early am. I could be riding to the local town to do somethings and could monitor the chicken pens from miles away with the CB that was in my truck----Sure would have not done any good if I had a attack when I was miles away but at least I knew what was happening and did not have to wonder and could rush home if needed.
For those of you that are out of range for a baby monitor, you can go get you a GOOD rechargeable set of GMRS radio's with VOX(voice activated) put one in your coop and carry the other on your person any where around your home or even to the neighbors or a local Store several miles away(with a good set). When you are in the house or At night set the one on your person in the charger to recharge, then once a day when you visit the coop switch the batteries(I set mine up using a small solar panel to recharge a bigger battery that I had attached to the GMRS radio at the coop so I did not have to switch the batteries). These can help so much allowing you to hear what is happening. I have had to rush out the door several times to get to my coop and have got the predator before he slaughtered a chicken, have lost a chicken or two too, but eliminated the predator.
I had a Good Pitt bull that lived with me in the house or out---every where I was(kinda) if I had a problem at the coop, he would hear it on the monitor and would be at the door waiting on me----When I open the Chicken run he would do a quick sweep and most of the time grab the predator and "take care" of it---He was a Good Dog!!! So far with the GP dog I have not lost any chickens to predators in over 2 years and some of you know that I have had as many as 1232 at one time in the pens in her patrol area. She(GP) has me a possum or a raccoon or a stray cat, even some snakes laying there some times when I get there in the mornings. She is a Good Dog!

 

[igorsMistress]

Sorry to hear about the loss of your chickens!

Hardware cloth should be screwed on not stapled. Staples are easily pulled out.

Use a hasp and padlock to lock up at night. Raccoons can easily open simple locks.

Good luck.

 

[NewLibertyHmstd]

I like electricity and then pellet rifles in that order. I've been a longtime believer in the electrified poultry netting after seeing it and Polyface. Even here in the city my run is essentially a solar charger and the Premier1 Permanet Poultry Net. I have a 25x12.5 Run around the coop, and that keep the Raccoons, Opossums, and my 2 Australian Shepherds at bay. For aerial threats, I'm working on a shade cloth that will double as a retreat area and they are also under dense tree coverage which helps protect them from view from passing Ospreys and our pair of Bald Eagles.

 

[Sublight]

I just shared this on another post---figured some might not see it there so I copied/pasted it here.

I wanted to tell you all what I have done and it helped a lot back before I got my GP dog. My chicken yard is about 3/8th's of a mile from my home so a baby monitor will not work for me, but might for a lot of you----if you are in range set-up one---for sure monitor during the night---always have a gun(if you are in a area you can) light, slip on pants and shoes ready if something starts happening in your coop. you might have to cut it off in the early AM when the roosters start crowing---LOL so you can sleep a little longer. Being mine is so far away I set-up a CB radio at the chicken yard with a flip flop timer I made. The timer turns the cb on with a power mic that is tied compressed so I can hear everything in the area of the coop/pen. The cb stays on 10 seconds and off 30 seconds 24/7 7 days a week. Most everyone that knew me knowed I had this set-up on a base antenna up in the air. CBers----some as far away as 30 miles in neighboring towns say that some nights they turn to that channel and just listen to nature---the frogs on the lake close to the chicken pens, listen to the crickets and for sure the roosters crowing in the early am. I could be riding to the local town to do somethings and could monitor the chicken pens from miles away with the CB that was in my truck----Sure would have not done any good if I had a attack when I was miles away but at least I knew what was happening and did not have to wonder and could rush home if needed.
For those of you that are out of range for a baby monitor, you can go get you a GOOD rechargeable set of GMRS radio's with VOX(voice activated) put one in your coop and carry the other on your person any where around your home or even to the neighbors or a local Store several miles away(with a good set). When you are in the house or At night set the one on your person in the charger to recharge, then once a day when you visit the coop switch the batteries(I set mine up using a small solar panel to recharge a bigger battery that I had attached to the GMRS radio at the coop so I did not have to switch the batteries). These can help so much allowing you to hear what is happening. I have had to rush out the door several times to get to my coop and have got the predator before he slaughtered a chicken, have lost a chicken or two too, but eliminated the predator.
I had a Good Pitt bull that lived with me in the house or out---every where I was(kinda) if I had a problem at the coop, he would hear it on the monitor and would be at the door waiting on me----When I open the Chicken run he would do a quick sweep and most of the time grab the predator and "take care" of it---He was a Good Dog!!! So far with the GP dog I have not lost any chickens to predators in over 2 years and some of you know that I have had as many as 1232 at one time in the pens in her patrol area. She(GP) has me a possum or a raccoon or a stray cat, even some snakes laying there some times when I get there in the mornings. She is a Good Dog!

I love the VOX idea. I never thought of that.
Have you considered putting a motion detector with a outlet on it. Then at night if it senses motion in the pen it will set off the CB, and off you go. That's what I use. Nothing should be stirring in my run during the night. If its there, then its dead.

Of course im not 500 yards away. My .17, or .22 or pellet rifle loves it.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I love the VOX idea. I never thought of that.
Have you considered putting a motion detector with a outlet on it. Then at night if it senses motion in the pen it will set off the CB, and off you go. That's what I use. Nothing should be stirring in my run during the night. If its there, then its dead.

Of course im not 500 yards away. My .17, or .22 or pellet rifle loves it.

My chickens are not close to electricity except for some solar panels so I try to not fix anything other than just whats needed that uses electricity. But I do not use any of that for over 2 years now---I just let the GP dog take care of it.

I was hoping that some of that info would help others that have not thought of monitoring!

 

[Sublight]

My chickens are not close to electricity except for some solar panels so I try to not fix anything other than just whats needed that uses electricity. But I do not use any of that for over 2 years now---I just let the GP dog take care of it.

I was hoping that some of that info would help others that have not thought of monitoring!

Absolutely. My chicken pen is close to my shop. I just use a extension cord. When the radio goes off, I get to moving. I open the dog door, and fire away with the .22 pellet rifle. If its a rat, or a coon/possum, it dies.

I made a thread and told people what to buy, and how to wire and set up the motion detector a couple days ago.
This is also a quality idea. Its a sound detector, very cool.