We were LUCKY this time tore a big hole in run *pics*

[Dragonfly Ranch]

It was so strange I just said to my husband last night that we needed to come up with a fix for the pop out door. We use the deep litter process and it's getting high enough now that some was in slide down tracks and starting to prevent the door from closing all the way. Didn't want coon fingers to be able to get under it.

I go out this morning to let everyone out and immediately see a rock out of place on the path - mmmmm what happened here. I look and here is what I found. Went and got my husband and then we see the top.

When we built we sandwiched the wire between to boards and they just broke right through. Also, got the lid off the garbage can that we store food in. Guess they got their fill on that too. I hate coons.

 

[StupidBird]

Wow, that's a close call; what damage. And your coop looks really nice. Are there more photos of the coop? It is gorgeous!
Others on BYC are insistent to use 1/2" hardware cloth; lucky I added some to mine because a nutjob dog went spaztic on the tractor the very next day. Ripped the chicken wire but not the hardware cloth. Whew!
Just a question:
Is today's chicken wire the same stuff that originally came out and got named "chicken wire"? Or is it like duct tape - good for everything but ducts? Has the wire gauge been getting smaller and lighter through the years to save production costs? Seriously curious...
and WHY can't the manufacturers' make better chicken wire then, since the holes are too big and the gauge too light? Is it that woven is inherently weaker than welded?

 

[TripleH]

Wow! I used hardware cloth on the bottom half
of my chain link. Top is covered with chain link dog
panels too. I have a bolt lever on pop door, but decided
to add a hasp clasp with a padlock too. We have trapped
3 coon in last month. The padlock lets me sleep at nite.
The key is kept up high. Can you add a lock to your pop
door?

 

[feckless_son]

chicken wire only keeps chickens in.

 

[Blackbird]

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Theres an old frame in our woods with chicken wire on it. Must be atleast 50 years old. The chicken wire on it is the same concept expect much stronger, and bigger holes. Atleast this stuff is. Today's chicken wire only lasts about five years.

 

[chookchick]

Thank you, thank you for posting pics of this. It is SOOO helpful when people post pics of predator damage--says in one photo what would take a thousand words to explain. Several people on BYC have said that the older stuff was stronger, but I have never seen it in person. Best wishes on foiling those coons!

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

Spent a good part of the day installing an electric fence - 6" from the bottom and another 6" above that. We also added some across the top. We feel that the coop is pretty safe but like I said we need to add a piece of wood at the bottom of the pop out door to help with keeping the tracks clear.

Our run is 12X20 and the cost of hard cloth would be pretty high. Hopefully the $150. for solar electric fence will do the trick. Gee now our eggs are up to $17.50 a dozen just to try and cover the cost of having chickens.

I'll post some more photos of the coop. A little tried - after we worked on coop had to put together a new rotating compose bin since 3 weeks ago the bear decided to smash the old one. Don't you just love living with nature!!

Sandee

 

[KittyKelly]

Best of Luck! Glad your birds are OK!

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Good thing you had your chickens locked up in the coop.

This is a great lesson to those who use only chicken wire.

Thanks for sharing your story so other's can learn.

Great little coop too. LOVE the colors.

 

[DiVon80]

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