Will predators go in my screen window?

[Iluveggers]

So now that it’s close to chick pickup, I’m starting to get nervous about what can go wrong. The babies will be brooding in the mud room attached to my garage. It has 3 large windows that can open with screens.
Now I’m wondering if a predator can break through the screen! Will it come in my house? Should I close the windows at night? The setup is house, open door from kitchen into garage, and then on opposite side of garage is heated mudroom with 3 windows and another door that can access the front yard there. The windows are regular house windows with a screen on them.
Thanks I am just a nervous new momma to be!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Can they? Yes. Screen windows stop mosquitos and usually chickens. Not much else. Whether they will or not depends largely on how hungry they are, and what else might be in there to attract them. That its a human occupied structure is definitely a deterrent - but anyone who has seen a trash panda use a doggie door as an invitation to browse knows its no guarantee. Same if you've seen what a bear will do on one of those "living in the wild" shows.

I'd take my chances - ventilation is one of the most important things you can offer a bird. Of course, I'm less risk averse than most. You can build screen frames with hardware cloth and mount them outside the windows, if you plan to do this as a long term solution, provide some additional piece of mind - assuming your windows don't open outward.

 

[Iluveggers]

Thanks. We don’t usually have predators in our yard because of my dogs who are in & out from 6:30am to 11pm, but we also haven’t had “food” for predators besides the veggie garden...

 

[apryl29]

I put hardware cloth over my screened windows.
I have a full house window on my coop that opens and closes, I covered the entire thing in hardware cloth using screws w/ 1" washers to hold it in place.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Thanks. We don’t usually have predators in our yard because of my dogs who are in & out from 6:30am to 11pm, but we also haven’t had “food” for predators besides the veggie garden...

It the predators aren't coming in for the dog food, chances are they won't come in for the chickens, either.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If this was the coop I'd securely cover all the windows with wire mesh. For temporary use as a brooding area, I wouldn't bother. Yes there's always some risk, but it's pretty unlikely that an outside predator will break into a house to get at chicks.

Honestly dogs are probably a bigger risk, so just make sure they can't get into the room the chicks are in.

 

[Iluveggers]

If this was the coop I'd securely cover all the windows with wire mesh. For temporary use as a brooding area, I wouldn't bother. Yes there's always some risk, but it's pretty unlikely that an outside predator will break into a house to get at chicks.

Honestly dogs are probably a bigger risk, so just make sure they can't get into the room the chicks are in.

Thanks so much. There is a secure door between the dogs & the chick room. I’m not going to let them in the garage when I’m in the room w the chicks so there will be two doors between them!