If I have to take em out I will. Lauren Arcuri is a freelance writer and an experienced small farmer. It was probably warmer out there, then in the house with the heat lamp. I live in Austria and they are very common here. And as always, when choosing a fence for your run, remember that chicken wire is for keeping chickens in, not for keeping predators out! Cover the run with it, too. They have metal roofs, since we had metal left from covering our garage ceiling. I built them a 20 ft run out of pvc and chicken wire. If there is no top, birds of prey will continue to get in. Mar 6, 2017 - Explore Ann White's board "chicken apron" on Pinterest. Now, my neighbor has lived beside us for two years and says she has lost over 200 chickens to foxes! (That was in my last run), For our new run in our new house im.building up and enclosing the whole run as it is enclosing my orchard of 12 various fruit trees and using 60cm built up Gardens of herbs and plant friendly plants for my girls around the whole perimeter that also deters critters etc. I really felt they were safe. Saved from backyardchickens.com. Although owls fly in at night if the flock is not put up for the night and has taken the heads of as many as five hens at one time. Hello, I’ve seen bears try to gain access at night and in the day when the fence was off. They can return to the coop for a bite to eat every now and then if they cannot find enough outdoors. MAIN MENU. I’d go out at least 18 inches, preferably 2 ft. Perhaps 2 feet of concrete pavers. Apr 12, 2015 - What are your suggestions for a predator proof chicken run? Mind you they are so used to cats and dogs, they sit beside some of them, but with chickens it makes me nervous. I personally don’t use chicken wire to protect the chicken coop and run because predators can easily tear through it. I will be using RentheChicken which brings them May-October 1 as a test run. We never saw any evidence of predator visits. Will them out during the day strictly supervised, but worrying about night time. I have a dog yard from the previous owner and don’t have a dog. I do not like coyotes one bit. Skunks,racoons, woodchucks,I am sure there are foxes and I have seen coyotes and hawks. Solid flooring is better than wire flooring for both the health of your chickens and for keeping them safe from predators.. Pingback: What To Raise On Your Homestead or Backyard Farm - One Acre Farm, Pingback: Limited Free Range Chickens: 12 Tips to Balance Freedom & Safety - One Acre Farm. They certainly never mentioned anything about using small .5 X .5 hardware mesh. He rigged it so that one charger runs both tractors. If you would like to open windows on hot summer days, they need to be covered with 1/2 inch hardware cloth. Walked into my chicken coop this morning and all 13 chickens were dead. We had a few chickens we lost a couple weeks ago to a Minx (it was so so terrible and I wasn’t sure I was cut out to be keeping chickens. And don’t wait for your chickens to come in on their own. I spoke with a falconer and he suggested that the glare from the sunlight reflecting off the lights was enough to interfere with her ability to see clearly into our yard. To prevent them from being able to do that, wire meshing is also placed around the perimeter. I also have this set up inside of a screened porch. Some spread disease, some eat chickens, and others eat eggs, if they become comfortable enough to check out the coop. So trade eggs for help to keep your chickens safe and it is a win, win! Electric Net … Well yesterday a rat snake somehow got into the screened porch and through the chicken wire and got two of my four chicks. If you choose not to elevate, then don’t bother with wood flooring. When a predator like a … Chicken killers will come knocking on the walls to get in and can’t, they will try and dig under the walls. bettinamorton (at) me (dot) com. We suspect a couple of big hawks. And the apron went out about 2 feet from the run and coop. Julie Stein, co-founder and ed, Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network. If you are just building your coop, think about the floor. A coop apron will resolve digging by large predators outside your coop. Protection against fox, no matter where you live requires a comprehensive defense. We got it on craigslist. When mine were a few days old, I put them outside on a very warm day in an enclosure. I am heartbroken. They could not find the cause of death. If you’re going to have a wood floor, put the coop on stilts, because the floor will eventually rot, creating entry for weasels, rats, and eventually larger digging animals. I really recommend you replace any chicken wire with 1/4 inch hardware cloth because it really works to keep predators out (my favorite hardware cloth is the Gilbert & Bennett YARDGARD on Amazon). Anyway, Im glad you found this article helpful. Predator Guard introduces a pair of flashing red lights that animals assume is a set of eyes. Use an electric screwdriver or nail gun to speed up building a coop. They are powered by a solar charger. We are in the process of upgrading our very pathetic coop … and reading all you wrote here shows me we have a LONG WAY to go. If the floor is just dirt and can be burrowed under, you’ll also want to consider putting mesh around the exterior floor of the coop — something called a predator apron — to keep animals from burrowing in under the fence. To keep the seam secure, I used hog rings and a hog ring plier (I got Ion Hogring Kit from Amazon) to fasten the fencing material where it overlaps. I would say in our set up with the 3 wires wrapped around the lower portion of the coop and runs, it’s very likely the animal would make contact with one of the wires while trying to enter. One of the hardest things in keeping chickens is keeping those chickens out of the reach of chicken predators. every possible threat. These are often constructed by digging a trench down 12″ around the entire perimeter of your chicken run and burying the hardware cloth beneath the ground. How did we find out? They’re going to be digging as close as they can to the coop where they’ll immediately run into the apron. Yes I thought it was rather strange myself! Secure chicken wire with industrial staples or screws and washers. Necropsies of chickens don’t always show the cause of death. Did you know they make automatic pop door openers where you can set the time for them to open and close? I put a fan in my coop in the summer to keep the air moving and keep it cool. This is the best way to deter diggers including dogs, rats, coyotes and fox. The problem with is that many predators are perfectly willing to strike during daylight, if the birds look easy enough to get. Where I am there is a very determined hawk that has a liking for chicken. It’s worth rising to that challenge, however, and it’s not difficult if you understand what you’re up against. I raise bees in the front and have had raccoons and bears get into those early on. Keep up the good work. I’m thinking snow will build up on top of half inch material..We also have bears but electric fencing we think will handle them.. We are 1st time chicken owners and have built a coop with the specs you mentioned: elevated hen houses, roof (clear corrugated plastic), 1/2 inch hardware cloth all around and buried 18 inches in the ground, and a combination lock on the door we use to enter (I’ll change it to a padlock). I built my coop on the ground and I believe my chickens dug a bit around the door and the marten got under it and when I woke up in the morning they had all been slautered. It will rust over time, but very slowly. So sorry for your loss, Terri. It scares them and makes them stay away from your yard. BTW, I really appreciate your attitude towards predators, even though you’ve had losses. My chicks are still in the garage waiting to go into their new home when temps are above 50*. Predator Proofing Your Chicken Coop and Run You must understand from the start that virtually nothing is 100% effective, but it is possible to make the coop and run almost 100% effective. There is 5 foot fence all around with chicken wire buried to stop digging. Keeping backyard chickens is a wonderful way to grow some of your own food and learn about animal behavior, but it does present the flock master with a few challenges. But I find the vet’s interpretation hard to believe. First off, research what predators live in your area. Give us a call at 919-794-3989 or reach out through our contact page and we'll be delighted to help! All you have to do is attach the fencing material to the bottom boards with staples. So far, so good but these forums have helped me SO SO much, getting ready to receive my birds and take care of them – thank you, everyone!! Any advice or suggestions on how to predator proof this pen? We are in the process of upgrading security on our coop and run after a significant fox attack. His crowing can be a life saving warning to the hens when a small predator lurks, but more of a dinner bell for larger predators. Also we have had them for 5 months since babies. I mourned those poor girls really hard for several days). I’m not particularly worried about people stealing my chickens, the area is quite out of the way so doubtful anyone would drive out that far just to steal a few hens. Secrets To Predator-Proofing Your Chicken Coop. I have mostly trash pandas and between my spikes or wasp spray when I’m around, they hesitantly visit my coop. What about a motion sensor light around to coop? This is the best advice on how to build a run that I’ve found. Hi Jodi, so sorry you lost your chickens! Since four of the roosters turned out to be hens, we are trying to ready a Runnings coop for the winter. Thanks so much for the great tips. They’re very cheap to replace here also so it wouldn’t be a huge loss. It stopped the dogs. How the coop apron works is when an animal tries to dig underneath your chicken coop or run, they’re not going to dig at the outskirt of the apron. My girls no longer free range and we’re trying to build a bigger and secure run for them. That’s it! Took 3 inch decking screws or nails, ( I use both ) and screwed our nailed them 3 inches apart across the entire board. And how does one dig in the hardest of dirt? Back down to the ground to do some dirt work and prepare to install what’s called the predator apron. Hello everyone. So I am renovating an old outbuilding style shed/barn into my chicken coop. He was mean to us, but I guess he was mean to predators, too. For this reason, small urban coops need to be protected from the top, bottom and perimeter. To prevent them from being able to do that, wire meshing is also placed around the perimeter. You have given really good advice and I plan on following it. Do I need one egg box per chicken? How is it built properly? The design also features skylights, a ramp, roosting bars, and vinyl flooring. Predator Proofing Your Chicken Coop and Run. Thank you, Anna, I’m glad you appreciated the post. You can bury the apron or place landscaping material (like stones) over the apron. Any help appreciated! Does that deter predators? The other 7 are alive though one is injured and recovering. Thank you. You might want to go with 1/4 inch for baby chick housing, but larger chickens would probably eat anything that could fit through 1/2 inch openings. The pen is a 20’ x 10’ dog run pen. Bought a coop as requirements are 10ft per chicken, with run. Here's how to keep the predators out by making predator proof chicken coops. Also be sure to use 1/2 inch hardware cloth and not chicken wire. Elevate the coop. Yes, an electric fence will work against raccoons if you set it up such that the raccoon will have to come into contact with the wire in order to enter the coop and run. It’s much more difficult to keep chickens safe when allowed to roam beyond the coop and run, and I’ll be posting about that in the future. I am so sorry for your loss! See more ideas about chicken aprons, chicken saddle, chickens backyard. We still love our predators though. Is this really effective? Let the ground be the floor, but be sure to bury fencing well below ground level, or surround it with a skirt, as described below. We keep the feeder in the coop even while chickens range outdoors. In addition, the second apron flays out from the run about 3 feet just below the ground surface. When a possum got in our coop at night, Monica shot it. The rooster made a racket…but to no avail. If you don’t know what a coop apron is, definitely watch the video below (or keep reading). The chickens are about 3 1/2 months old, we raised them from day old chicks, and we were free ranging them during the day. I have chicken wire around my run, sides and top, and other then snakes getting in and taking an egg here and there before we catch it, I have had no other issues. Even galvanized hardware cloth gradually breaks down when moist. Lost four hens to a raccoon attack recently and am building a new coop before replacing the flock. Here’s a great video tutorial on how to properly install a predator apron: They brazenly began stalking into my yard in the middle of the day…with barking “large” dogs at the sliding glass doors. Pictures would be helpful. The sheeting is held tightly down with 6″ metal, horseshoe shaped landscaping nails. I did get the little weasel and I was so mad, I killed him and taxidermy him and he sits on top of a picture in my living room. Keep the barrels where raccoons and bears cannot reach them, because they can open these barrels. Forgetting doesn’t sound irresponsible at all, it just sounds like forgetting. It can happen, but it’s not common. I thought we had an extremely secure system to house our flock, but one really persistent fox found a way in. Saturday night raccoons bent back some of the hardware cloth near the roof on the back of the coop and ate all five chicks (I found the remains in the morning). For making a coop apron, you will need hardware cloth or fencing that has very small holes and is placed on the ground around the coop. My answer is steel pigeon spikes along the top of the chain link and various other areas. I’m moving the hives into the chicken run so i won’t have to invest in another solar charger and battery for the hot fence and nail boards. I keep them inside the house. Though we’ve never lost a girl to a predator, we’ve lived in the city until a few months ago. The Ultimate Guide to Raising Chickens for Eggs. While I think the electric wire will protect against digging, I wonder about something dropping down from the tree. Yes, chickens should be kept in a secure (predator proof) coop and run when you are not with them whether it is day or night. The builder recommends that you cover the chicken run with sand because it will be easier to clean. If you are not yet familiar with them, you might want to check out my previous post on Poultry Predator Identification, where their tracks, scat, and behaviors are discussed. Predators abound … Key features of all Lonestar Coops plans: Predator proofing is the starting point of all of our designs Tons of ventilation for healthy chickens, with large windows on all four sides of the hen-house Plexiglas storm windows to close up the henhouse during the cold winters 1 hen had her head ripped/bitten off and the head was found right outside the coop. Any sort of apron that will prevent animals from digging down should work. We bought bird netting from Runnings and we placed the coop and fence near our only pine tree, to try to protect it all from the winter wind. The thing that seems to have protected the birds is two strands of electric wire around the bottoms of the cages, about 1/2 and 1 1/2 inches off the ground. MAIN MENU. A coop apron will resolve digging by large predators outside your coop. LaySomeEggs.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for websites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. But I have a feeling that forgetting just once was so upsetting to you that you’ll never forget again. I plan on using your suggestion of having an apron around the coop and run to secure it. More power to you – please continue your wonderful work! Any information would be helpful. I pulled out a wooden perch and smacked it up against the dog pen! Predators abound in and around a homestead, and they’re all after your chickens. It is about 10x15 in size. All chicken coops are handcrafted with premium materials and are prefabricated or custom designed and built to your own specifications. When installing your coop, be sure to avoid using chicken wire. We are getting ready to build our first coop. Wow, what a story, Ashley. I may earn a commission when you buy through links on my site. Foxes are persistent…and intelligent. It was the ONE TIME I forgot – with a 14 month baby that was having an incredibly bad day, I was simply exhausted and fell asleep early. Animals And Pet Supplies. I lined the door edge with a nice thick layer of habanero oil. HI Christine, so sorry for your loss! The different voices sound like people are in the area, and we have not had a problem in 2 years. Mar 2, 2017 - What are your suggestions for a predator proof chicken run? I thought my chicken coupe was safe but I found a one in a half inch gap between the bottom of my door that weasel was getting in. Lisa Steele, a 5th generation chicken keeper and Master Gardener, and author of the popular books Fresh Eggs Daily: Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens Naturally and Gardening with Chickens lives with her husband on a small hobby farm in Maine where she raises a mixed flock of chickens and ducks, grows herbs and enjoys cooking using fresh vegetables from her garden and fresh eggs from her coop. Enough said. Regular hardware cloth on top is fine. If a racoon puts fingers through, there’s now an extra 1/2 inch of air between the two screens before anything is touched. I would never give them access to an unsafe run even during daylight, when nobody’s home, and I’d hate to keep them confined to the coop for more than a few days. Learn how to predator-proof your chicken coop and run, protect your flock from predators and rodents, and provide security for chicken coops with a few simple tips, tricks, and tools. That could be a problem if you ever let your birds free range, in which case you would not want predators hanging around at all. Welcome to Southern Chicken Coops! We added electric wires last year. I will be raising some rare breed chickens and want to add all of the security features I can. It takes additional time, effort, and money to predator proof a run, but for us it has been well worth it. I’ve never had chickens before. No fear, well I could have killed him, but i didn’t, I shot the ground in front of him throwing dirt all over and he ran with a purpose. Coyotes. It is also not uncommon for chickens to be attacked by feral cats or even the family dog. Should we make a closed area for when we are not with the chickens during daytime ? This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. But hope for the best. How to Predator Proof Your Chicken Coop. I’m pinning 🙂 I was thinking a home-made switch for in the bathroom (which we both use before bed, so we’d definitely see it) that shows us whether the girls have been locked up…. Chicken killers will come knocking on the walls to get in and can’t, they will try and dig under the walls. Its more then 2 people can keep up with..lol. Learn how your comment data is processed. I’ve seen 1 foot quoted as sufficient for a skirt or underground fence, but I think that’s borderline sufficient. I’m not sure about a guardian breed of dog – I’d be worried the dog might bite visitors or hurt my cats. As a result, this will assist you in determining what steps you need to take in order to keep your flock safe. The only way to keep snakes out of the chicken coop completely is to secure it day and night with 1/4″ hardware cloth at every possible access point into the coop and run. Oh the run is connected to the chicken coop I’m a little distraught ty. You can spray the chicken wire with flexseal if you already have the wire, I used plastic netting for birds and deers over my pen when I built 2 years ago now tree limbs and ice storm have destroyed it will be doing some repairs as soon as my rotator cuff allows…. Updated 10/18/19. It is readily available at Lowes (item #44380) and other hardware stores. A friend or relative, willing to help me remember to put up the chickens takes their time to either text-or call me about 6: each evening. Add an automatic coop door so your chickens are safe at night To keep them safe from predators, the run should be at least 8 feet high, and made of hardware cloth or chicken wire. We placed the young birds in a former rabbit cage (which is a repurposed dog cage) inside the coop thinking they were safe from predators as well as the older chickens. Never underestimate a raccoon. www (dot) amazon.com/Modern-Warrior-Camouflage-Tactical-12-5-Feet/dp/B009V5Z88E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1430229100&sr=8-2&keywords=camo+netting. Don’t forget to top the run with 1/2 inch hardware cloth! Possums, skunks and snakes wouldn’t mind stealing some eggs and chicks, too. My husband and I are new’ish to small scale farming and becoming more self-sustainable. I know one person who was successful for several years with a pair of geese as the only guard animals for an otherwise poorly protected coop. Absolutely nothing was wrong with them. For a dug apron fence, you might bury a foot or so of your fence in the ground... so if you buy a six foot fence, one foot of it would be buried, and the fence would be five feet high. For runs and coop with dirt floor: Bury hardware cloth 2 feet down, and/or place a skirt of hardware cloth 2 feet out. Betsy, that’s great that you found a way to deter hawks. When the apron eventually rusts, she's planning to just replace that separate apron, without having to disassemble the entire fence. My chicken coop use to be my daughters playhouse, So it is not elevated. We don’t have a breeding bear population in my part of Massachusetts, but dispersing individuals do pass through, and have been known to destroy entire flocks along the way. First and foremost: Never, never use chicken wire on your chicken coop and run. The boards will rot and have to be replaced eventually, but I get 2 to 4 years out of one depending on how thick the plywood is. Jun 20, 2019 - How to install a predator apron around a chicken coop to keep animals from digging underneath into the chicken coop. – Hardesty Haus. We raised 15 dual-purpose roosters in each tractor for 16 weeks, then got them into the freezer. Eliminate predator hiding places near the coop. I was working on my coop, chickens started running to the other side of the run, I started looking for a hawk. And if I were to use regular hardware mesh on the top, will it rust over time because of the weather? Some people use an automatic pop door to close at night and open in the morning, to give chickens access to a less secure run during daylight. They can’t pull the bird out, but they try, often killing the bird in the process. Poor thing. Don’t want to hurt my hen’s feet but want to keep predators out if we can. Thank for your great sage advice about keeping chickens safe. Learn to train them to come when called from a previous post here. Some predators are indeed active during daylight, but many are more apt to strike at night while you are sleeping. If the coop floor is dirt, bury hardware cloth at least 12” underneath it. I, of course am not going to depend on only this, but it really did help. I would bury 2 ft of fencing and place large paving slabs all the way around the perimeter of the run, and would cover the top with fencing too – would that be sufficient to stop mongooses, weasels and foxes? Thanks for the comments so far! Do you think electric fence work against raccoons. Has anyone ever heard of having no symptoms and that many dropping dead from coccidia?? We are, and we recently became Certified Predator Friendly. I’ve read of other people stringing old CD’s over their chicken runs, and it seems to work for awhile. If I were to dig deep in the ground and bury cinder blocks around the perimeter of the bottom of the coop would that help or is it better to bury hard wear cloth in the ground around the bottom. And if you really don’t want nighttime predators to be around your coop in the first place, what really works for me is this thing I bought on Amazon called Predator Guard. What is your approach to predator proofing the chicken coop? This oil hurts your skin if you get any fume on your skin. Also, it would be easier to replace the hardware on cloth when it does finally rust, than to replace the stuff underground. There’s no way animals can rip the seam apart. I am about to be a first-time chicken owner 🙂 Reading LOTS and LOTS. Topec 3 in 1 Manual Nail Gun with 1800 Staples. Turn Key. For a predator-proof pen, you will need to use either ½” or 1” welded wire fencing. Infamous for their love of chicken, and due to lack of natural predators, red foxes are actually more likely to strike in urban and suburban areas rather than rural. You want your fencing material to be at least 24 inches, but I used 36 inches. Now tell me how you prevent that?! She didn’t say chicken wire; she said chain link. Deterrents like streamers, decoy animals, predator pee, loud music, strobe lighting, and ultrasonic repellents might work initially, but eventually predators may habituate to them. Also, our little coup, where the chickens only reside at night, is just 5×8′. Definitely Yes Votes: 0 0.0% Yes, with some supplemental poultry netting or hardware cloth Votes: 3 75.0% Maybe Votes: 0 0.0% NO Votes: 0 0.0% What the?? I’m building a coop and run in my back yard now. Perhaps the greatest is keeping chickens safe from predators. 1 of 2 Go to page. Reinforcement to exclude weasels was definitely a good idea. May 16, 2018 - Chicken_Apron_or_Hen_Saddle_Pattern_-_WeAllSew_121314 Hi Janet — thanks so much for sharing Predator Friendly and Wildlife Friendly practices with the world — the world needs more, much more, of this!! So you definitely want to consider adding a coop apron. I then bought 14″ metal sheeting, 10′ long, in the framing department at Home Depot (very reasonable price) and made an apron on the ground around the whole coop – sat the coop on the metal to help protect the wooden frame from the dirt & moisture. So far the coyotes keep their distance but I know they will be back. Bury it or put an Apron on It To deter digging predators, dig a 12″ trench all the way around the perimeter of the coop, burying the hardware cloth. In winter they have a heat lamp even if they don’t need it its there for them in the corner. It seems that everything wants to … This may sound silly, but are there any suggestions you have to remind you each night to put the hens to sleep? Back down to the ground to do some dirt work and prepare to install what’s called the predator apron. The time when bears wake and are ravenous is upon us, which seems to be the time that bears are brazen enough to try the coop for a meal (any time of year in areas where the bears are thick!). Your email address will not be published. Planting Garlic. Perhaps the greatest is keeping chickens safe from predators. I really dont want lead running off into the soil and area my chickens are feeding. I am now re-planning my entire layout. Digging around the chicken coop. We deal heavily with large predatory birds around here… Even Bald eagles have been known to snatch a chicken or duck around here. I bought a really cute but basic coop from Tractor Supply and staple-gunned additional 1/2 inch hardware cloth panels onto the outside, covering the hardware cloth that had been stapled from the inside.

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