Chicken run VS predators

[tomplum]

We have a secure area for the girls, covered and all to keep the hawks and resident owl at bay. That area is only about 400 square feet and we're going to extend the run using one existing fence line and putting new up to the tune of 400-500' of fencing. Our main predator is the coyote, but really have a combo platter. So if I run a strand of barbed wire on the top of the ground , 6' of 2x4 fence mesh and a strand or two of barbed above- does that sound about right? Thanks.

 

[RNeumann]

They likely dig under before going over a 6’ fence.

 

[nybirdman]

Best to bury a foot of wire around the out side perimeter for ground predators.I also have an electric fence around the outside.I have about a 1/2 acre of pheasant pens so predators are a constant battle.I have 2" net over-head for birds of prey and to keep mine in.

 

[Thomas]

Might be good idea bury fence least 6" below ground.

 

[tomplum]

So bury some barbed wire or some poultry netting maybe? Or the bottom of the 2x4 mesh? Under our chain link, I just laid some mesh 18" out from the fence to discourage digging. Once fence line is established so digging there won't be a joy as it would be by hand. Just at the edge of a hay field so it's going to be trimmed out so I can work there. Fortunately the other long edge just might be near enough to the road bed of the drive that it will be rock filled. It not, I can at least zip a quick trench w/ the tractor.

 

[atsah]

Heavy boards 12 inches wide with three inch nails upwards at the base of you're fence. They don't try to dig under our fence anymore since we did this..

 

[randy41]

be easier to go electric

 

[TnAndy]

2x4 welded wire won't last long buried....rusts out. We used 16'x54" cattle panels, buried 8", with 6' 2x4 welded wire tied to them for height. Never had a 'dig under' issue, but climbing predators like raccoons will simply scale about anything and be right in. Only solution for them is lock up the flock at night.

BTW, rebar tie wire loops (we use galvanized ones) and this twist tool make tie wire to wire, or wire to T posts (get 10" ties) a snap.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

This?

Robot Check

 

[TomIre]

We zip tied poultry netting to the outside of the woven wire so that a couple of feet lay flat on the ground in the outside. Before too long grass and dirt his the poultry net. That was four years ago. Still there and nothings dug under. Coons will climb about anything though. For them an electric wire a foot short of the top works.

 

[EddieWalker]

Pretty easy to keep predators out during the day, and during the night, the chickens should be locked up in a predator proof coop when they sleep. I would't put too much effort into it, or over complicate it. Coyotes will grab what they can, if they can, but wont put a lot of effort into it during the day.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

be easier to go electric

I've had good results with electric.

 

[tomplum]

Thanks for the ideas folks. I've seen a dig attempt on the backside of the secure run and really want to put something at the base. That was an area that had wire across the ground outaway from the fence.We'll lock them up at night. They used to sleep up in the cedar tree. All at once we lost two that way from the owl last summer. Big girls too. We have to keep the chicks under cover as there are hawks aplenty. About once a summer we have a cougar wander through our valley. Used to have a family of bobcat but I haven't seen them for a while. In fact about 3 years back our neighbor had one in his coop that came in one night through one of those auto doors.

 

[Jstpssng]

Raccoons are tenacious little buggers. They will reach right through your fencing and grab a sleeping bird. I lost two turkey poults one night last year when a coon dragged them through 2x4" wire fencing; and they were sleeping about 12" from the fence.
I have a 12x18 foot fenced in area for my laying hens and when I built it I also was picking rocks out of my garden; so the entire fence bottom is lined with stones from softball size up. It's been 6 years or more and so far nobody has gotten in who I didn't want. The frame is getting rickety though and last spring I had a game camera mounted on it; one night the pictures suddenly got crooked, apparently a coon or coons were crawling across the top trying to find a way in. It's about time to move them anyways, with some lime and a cover crop or two the exsisting area should be a great garden spot.

Another problem I've had is weasels; six years ago I finally moved my henhouse out from under the trees and again, haven't lost a bird to them since. They are both predator and prey, so with no cover nearby they are susceptible to owls and hawks.

 

[ericm979]

We've had the same thing with raccoons. We've had bobcats come over a 6' fence with a hot wire at the top. Now there's a framework and mesh netting over the run. Chicken wire on the lower part of the run's fence with an 18" skirt on the ground, held down with old water pipe, works to prevent digging.

Keeping the chickens in a sturdy coop at night helps a lot. Automatic doors can help if people are prone to forget to lock the chickens in at night (or want to take a vacation).

 

[EddieWalker]

Around my coop I have quarter inch mesh so nothing can reach through it. At the base of my coop, we dug down with a shove and poured concrete so the mesh is in the concrete.

 

[rgr33]

I just trenched around the perimeter of the pen, before posts and wire went up, and buried 12 inches of old used fence we had around the place.

No problems since.
Raccoons, skunks and bobcats are the biggest threat here, hawks don’t seem to take much interest.

 

[kenmac]

Around my coop I have quarter inch mesh so nothing can reach through it. At the base of my coop, we dug down with a shove and poured concrete so the mesh is in the concrete. View attachment 594603

I have regular fence around the bottom of my chicken pen. Also have boards around the bottom. Top is also covered with regular type chicken wire. I have't had any problems in with anything getting into my pen.

Eddie, I came through your neck of the woods (Tyler Tx) headed home to Al. from Texas yesterday.

 

[EddieWalker]

Eddie, I came through your neck of the woods (Tyler Tx) headed home to Al. from Texas yesterday.

If you had honked, I might have heard you. I'm half a mile from I20 and stayed home all day yesterday because it was too cold to go outside!!!

 

[kenmac]

If you had honked, I might have heard you. I'm half a mile from I20 and stayed home all day yesterday because it was too cold to go outside!!!

We went out to visit my brother in Midlothian Tx. to pick up an HVAC unit and bring it back to AL.

Don't know how close you are to that Miranda Lambert's place. My wife had to exit there and pick up some wine to bring back home.



It sure was cold in Tx. this past weekend..We went to the ATT Stadium Sat. and saw a rodeo there. Like to froze before we got into the stadium


Made the 12 hr trip back yesterday morning