Welsh Harlequin

[nayeli]

also coops don't have to be super fancy or expensive. Mine was under $50 originally, although I have expanded it and added a window and concrete flooring to make it safer (and a tarp over the top to make it water proof). My siggie leads to my coop before expansion and I'll try to update my blog to the expansion coop.

But just use reclaimed/recycled materials to keep your costs down. If your worried about toxins coat wood with a toxic free paint =)

 

[UtahWelshie]

What kind of fencing do you have? Have all the birds gone missing at night? According to the book, the most likely predators would be a bob cat (or huge barn cat) or a fox. Both go by night and leave little or no trace because they usually take the prey with them. They usually take only one at a time, but will likely return. Both are likely to partially bury any left overs in a secluded corner if they are unable to carry it away. A 4-5 foot electrified fence is suggested OR a full enclosure at night. That said, the two legged kind of thief is also possible. I've had one before. In that case, my advice would be a cheap window/door alarm. You know the ones that make a sound when you open a door (anything from ding-dong to high decibel alarm). Put one on the coop door in an inconspicuous place. You will know whenever the door is opened and can call the cops to deal with the person. Cheap at any home improvement store or Amazon. ($10 or less)

 

[UtahWelshie]

My coop is made of recycled wood fencing and used 2x4s. It does the job.

 

[Quack Addict]

We've had fox problems (verified by game camera) and yote problems. Always feathers left from fox. Never from yotes. My guess is ole Wyle E...

Cured our yote problems with a high speed lead injection.

 

[Zombified]

We have a chain link fence. Would a coyote be able to climb the fence? We have bobcats, coyotes, foxes, owls, and occassionally a hawk will fly by. But it's extremely rare to find one in our neighborhood let alone anyone's backyard. Not impossible, though.

 

[subhanalah]

We have a chain link fence. Would a coyote be able to climb the fence? We have bobcats, coyotes, foxes, owls, and occassionally a hawk will fly by. But it's extremely rare to find one in our neighborhood let alone anyone's backyard. Not impossible, though.

all yes. If they are in your immediate area and can hear/smell them, they will be in your yard; it's not a question of "if", it's "when."

 

[Kimarie411]

Here are my new babies! My 2 WH and Pekin. They arrived bright eyed and bushy tailed yesterday morning.

 

[Kimarie411]

Another Pic of the girls (I hope they're girls, it's what I ordered)...Olive on the left and Pepper on the Right.

 

[UtahWelshie]

I lived in a rural area once upon a time with all those critters. We had coyotes but they never came through the 6 foot tall chain link. Whether they could or not (I don't think they could) they never did. Foxes probably could have come in through the wide parts of the gate, but we never saw them anywhere near the yard. Too skittish. There was a bobcat in the barn down the road, who killed lots of ground squirrels until someone shot him, though he was never seen near any ones homes that I know of and never bothered livestock, he did sire some half breed cats. He was the last in our area. Eagles and hawks would come and sit in the trees to take a look, but never dipped into the yard. We saw them kill and eat wild ducks in the nearby river, but they left ours alone. I don't think they thought the constricted area of the yard was a good risk. What really ended up being a problem for us was the raccoons. They were not native to my area and were introduced illegally about fifteen-twenty years ago. Ten years we had poultry with no problems, loose in the yard day and night. Those raccoons come along and we had problems with everything. They would kill and eat anything they could get their hands on. They would even fight and kill our cats over the cat food. A chain link fence is no obstacle to them and they are bold. They would jump the fence, look right at us through the sliding glass door, and try to break in through the cat door for the cat food on the other side. BOLD. Animals just started disappearing unless they were locked up tight at night. That's my experience NOT from a book.

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

I've done the fences, the locking the animals up at night (which does nothing for the day time thieves), the sound/light motion alarms etc., and I've found that nothing beats a good LGD (livestock guardian dog). I'm not talking about a "farm" dog (although they have their place), but rather a dog from one of the actual livestock guardian breeds that for centuries have been bred specifically to guard their herds/flocks against wolves, bears, big cats, and yes, even 2-legged predators. Anatolian, Great Pyrenees, Akbash, Kommondor, Maremma, Tibetan Mastiff, and Kuvasz are some of the better known breeds. I, myself, have had Great Pyr,, Anatolians, and Kommondor...and good LGDs are worth their weight in gold, IMHO.