Will this coop protect enough against foxes, raccoons, possums, and possibly wild hogs?

[dumluckcluck]

These are our new babies, 3 buffs and 3 barred rocks. Caught this fox last night on the critter cam mounted near the coop. Coop and run are covered on top, sides and buried underground 1" x2" welded wire, with extra layer of hardware cloth on bottom half. Besides the occasional fox, we have raccoons visit EVERY night, possums once in a while, and during the rainy season, wild hogs. Plus owls, hawks, and kestrels. Our 5 acres borders forest and swamp. Will this be enough, or will electric fence possibly be needed? The way the fox climbed that tree was scary. Our chicks are a few months off from being ready spending the night outside, but we want them to be safe when they do!

 

[FireTigeris]

Is the vent over the coop door also covered with hardware cloth? If not do that first.

2nd, what kind of latch do you have- I have key locks ...

 

[AuroraSprings]

That is a raccoon not a fox. Notice the feet look more like fingers than paws?

 

[AliceMae]

My biggest problem are minks. They can squeeze through the smallest spaces and kill so many, so fast.

I think that they are the varmints that remove heads without any sign of blood anywhere? Or maybe it's weasels ?

Seems almost impossible to have a totally perfectly safe place no matter what you do or where you live!

 

[BullardBarnyard]

Nice coop! It would work great here, where there isn't much but the occasional loose dog, coyote or hawk. I think it would work, but that's just me! Good job if you built it though! Haha

 

[cafarmgirl]

WIth your laundry list of predators do the hot wire, it's well worth it. You can either attach the holders to your coop/run itself or you can run the wires on it's own fence of T posts around your coop and run if you want to keep predators completely away. That's probably what I'd do if I had wild hogs in the area. Several wires close together so that whatever comes along is bound to stick it's nose on one.

You probably also have bobcats too maybe? Anything bigger?

 

[Suzierd]

That's a coon going up the tree you an see the rings on the tail. I would do the hot wire.

 

[ChicKat]

WELCOME to the Forum!! good luck with protecting your flock!

 

[Cetawin]

That is a raccoon not a fox. Notice the feet look more like fingers than paws?

Quote:

That's a coon going up the tree you an see the rings on the tail. I would do the hot wire.

That is a one HUGE coon! That thing will tear open stuff.




OP...that wire will not stop a coon, they will reach inside it and pull a chicken through. Secondly, the ventilation at the top needs hardwire cloth (no larger than 1/2") screwed, not stapled down, door need flush mounting with secure locks, preferrably key. Coon are very dexterous and can use their front paws like a human uses their hands. They will pull, push and lift wire and lightweight things off staples and they will spend all night prying at a door if they can get one nail under it.

Good luck with them.

 

[dumluckcluck]

Thank you everyone! I thought that it would be hard for a fox to climb that high......guess I didn't decipher the pic well enough to realize it was a coon. The vents at the top do have hardware mesh, it's just hard to see in the picture. We may very well have to resort to an electric fence, we're already so attached to the chicks, the thought of losing them to predators is awful.