Will Our Chickens be Safe from Raccoons?

[Prieto1399]

My husband and I are first time chicken owners. We live in the middle of a small town, and I've never seen a coon anywhere near our house (though I know they're nocturnal, so they're more than likely around at night). The most I've seen in terms of a predator are a couple of stray cats.

We have 4 chickens that are just getting ready to go outside. We are gong to have them in an enclosed run. It's a 10x10 metal frame run with chicken wire on all sides and on the top, as well as tarp over the top to protect from rain and provide shade. At night, we will be locking them in a coop with carabiner locks.

I've been told from some friends who have chickens that this should be fine, considering we're in the middle of town and the chickens will be securely locked at night, but a few have expressed some concern about raccoons, specifically.

Will this be safe for our chickens, as long as we make sure they are tightly locked up every night?

Thank you in advance!

 

[sourland]

Maybe. If hungry enough, coons will attack during daylight hours. Chicken wire is not strong enough to keep them out. Have you considered putting hot wire around the pen and coop?

 

[sdm111]

Chicken wire is no match for a raccoon, actually chicken wire isn't a good protectant from practically any predator.

 

[Prieto1399]

Maybe. If hungry enough, coons will attack during daylight hours. Chicken wire is not strong enough to keep them out. Have you considered putting hot wire around the pen and coop?

We're planning on getting hardware cloth to put along the outside within the next few months. The enclosure came with the chicken wire, and so it just needs to hold up for a couple of months, if possible.

 

[Evadig]

We're planning on getting hardware cloth to put along the outside within the next few months. The enclosure came with the chicken wire, and so it just needs to hold up for a couple of months, if possible.

I think they'd be fine as long as you keep an eye out for them during the day and they're locked up tight at night .

 

[lagrange chicks]

This morning it was just getting light enough to see the chicken area and I see a big coon running right towards the coop/run and stops for a moment at the gate and then kept going. We have a lot of coon in are area and I see coon prints on the sides of the coop often. I have hardware cloth on the entire run also out 18" on the ground. Good luck keeping your chicks safe.

 

[Prieto1399]

This morning it was just getting light enough to see the chicken area and I see a big coon running right towards the coop/run and stops for a moment at the gate and then kept going. We have a lot of coon in are area and I see coon prints on the sides of the coop often. I have hardware cloth on the entire run also out 18" on the ground. Good luck keeping your chicks safe.

Do you live in a small town, as well?

 

[lagrange chicks]

Do you live in a small town, as well?

No out in the country.

 

[Prieto1399]

No out in the country.

That's good to know about raccoons, though. I'm hoping to let them out an hour or so after sunrise, and get them in early, to avoid the dawn/dusk predators snooping around.

 

[texsuze]

We lived 14 years in a suburban neighborhood within a major metroplex. Didn't have chickens at that time but had plenty of wildlife (raccoons, possums, owls, hawks) and feral predators wandering the alleys and eating the cat food that dingdongs would leave out on the front porches.

Regardless of location, my suggestion is plan for predation. Hardware cloth instead of chicken wire. HW cloth "apron" installed around the base of the run. Good luck!