Welded wire and predators???

[Sachasmom]

How large is the openings and what gauge? My answer is yes, they'll get thru. Ask me how many things I've lost in just the last week to a mink and how very very HARD it is to Mink Proof stuff.

I'm going to have to go back and redo the coops to keep the minks out, my experiance is they are night time or early am predators, so the run should be safe during the day. I would not use a door that stays open though, because they can get thru the holes or just climb up and over. You'll need to make sure the coop floor is secure, they'll dig to get in there (as will fox)

I used the larger hole (2x4 maybe?) welded wire for one of my pens ( I first used chicken wire, found that hard to work with. Then I used plastic fencing... Yeah, that was stupid)

I thought it would be safer, it isn't. I've had loses from mink in that pen (the coop door was just open) and a Fox (it pried up the fence at the gate)

I'm going to try to scrounge up the money for electric poultry netting to put around the perimeter of the coops, I am hoping that will help.

And I sympathize, my husband is not getting the "secure pen" concept, I keep telling him what I need and he is just not understanding. He keeps saying well, how did it get in the pen?

 

[Nicole01]

Yes, the welded wire is 2x4. Luckily, the coop is 100% predator safe when the doors are shut. There is a steel door leading outside to the run. Our coop is built inside our garage and the run is along side our house. Nothing can dig their way in the coop and dh buried the wire. We built the coop inside the garage because of predators. We live in a fairly wooded area with plently of wildlife/predators. I think the screen door would work well rather then making one. I really do hope the dh will someday realize the run is not predator safe. He thinks nothing can get inside the run. I didn't realize minks could get through small spaces either. Not too far from here, a farmer lost quite a few chickens. Maybe 60? He believes it was from weasels.