How to make a chicken coop predator - proof may voice a niggling tricky , but it does n’t have to be . With the proper tools and supplies , predator - proof your hen ’ cage , barn , or shed has never been easy .
Why Predator-Proof?
Many chicken keepers never research how to make a chicken cage predator - proof until their great deal has been attacked by a vulture who gained access to the henhouse via digging , climbing , squeezing , or even ripping through a window screen .
If going out to find your beloved passel ’s clay spread out through the coop and running play is not on your bucket tilt , then vulture - proof the cage is a must . vulture - proofing the coop has saved many chickenkeepers ’ hearts from being broken by preventing their flock from being destroy in a nighttime predator onset .
While predator - proofing does demand more clock time and effort on your part , having the peace of mind love your flock is safe is deserving the effort .
How to Make a Chicken Coop Safe for Your Flock
To check that your lot is safe from predators starts with having a safe coop , shed , or barn to house them in . There are many steps to ensuring a piranha - test copy coop , include roofs , window , doors , and more , so let ’s get begin !
How to make a chicken coop predator - validation should take up with the floor . hencoop commonly have three flooring choice : dirt , Ellen Price Wood , or cementum / concrete .
Concrete storey are the safest and well flooring option for chickens . While they may be more expensive than other flooring options , they are long - lasting and nearly indestructible . Another upper side to cement is you do n’t have to worry about scum bag or mice chewing through them .
Wood floors are safer than dirt floors , but they do not declare oneself as much protection against predators as concrete . They may also rot and need to be replaced every couple of years . However , many fowl owner have solved both of these problem by setting the coop or throw away on top of a cement pad of paper to prevent predators from digging and floors from rotting .
shit floors declare oneself no tribute against predatory animal and should be avoided .
The cage walls are often overlooked when predator - proofing , but if your coop walls are rot away or have missing boards or other golf hole , predators can gain access to your cage and deal . Covering the outside of the coop walls with alloy railroad siding is an fantabulous elbow room to cover kettle of fish and break . Another plus to metal sidetrack is that it is usually well-heeled to instal .
A more temporary , budget - well-disposed fix is to cover hole with 16 - standard of measurement , half - in hardware fabric to keep predators out . Be sure to overcompensate the telegram with any spare timber to protect your flock from the elements .
How to make a chicken coop roof good may be one of the trickiest parting of predator - proofing . While run along the roof with Mrs. Henry Wood and shingles or metal roofing may be sluttish , assure there are no gap between the walls and the roof can be dispute .
To protect against cagey rat and raccoon and opportunist owls from sneaking in through the roof raftman to dine on your flock , cover gaps big than one column inch with 16 - standard of measurement , half - inch ironware blow
Did you know that birds of prey , foxes , and raccoons can rend through window CRT screen and wimp wire and gain access to your sight while they are roosting ?
bond half - inch hardware cloth to the window soma will prevent piranha from being able to get to the hencoop via a windowpane .
Even though bug are not regard a chicken predator , cover to use windowpane screenland as well as hardware cloth will also help keep out mosquito and flies .
Completely vulture - proofing the human - size door may be one of the most difficult persona of ensuring a secure coop . The put-on is to have a snug - fitting door with no gaps larger than a half - inch . However , if you are not ready to hand with tools and build things , hiring a professional person to add the henhouse door may be the upright option to check the door fits snugly .
If you are lucky enough to have purchased a coop with a close-fitting - fitting door , there is no pauperization to vex , but if your door has gaps , consider adding wire to cover up the gaps or reframing the coop door .
Pop holes and nest boxes are two often miss ways predators gain access to the coop . Snakes are especially notorious for slip into the coop through the popping jam , while clever raccoon have been known to unfold nesting box and steal chickens sitting on bollock .
Lock It Up
It may voice foreign , but one of the good ways to keep your tidy sum dependable is by locking up the coop every night with a padlock on all doors , including nesting box seat threshold , popholes and human door .
Curious raccoon , strong fart blow , or even accidentally leaving the coop threshold ajar can pass to an accidental predator attack .
Predator Skirts
Attaching predatory animal wench to the outside perimeter of the henhouse and run to prevent digging predators from profit access is another smashing room to facilitate keep your flock safe .
Predator skirts should be made of 16 - gauge , half - inch wire buried twelve to eighteen inches vertically belowground and another objet d’art of conducting wire eighteen to twenty - four column inch horizontally laid out six inches below ground .
A Word on Barn Safety
When living accommodations volaille in a barn , it is authoritative to ensure that the entire barn is totally predator - proof , not just the segment where the poulet go . This may sound extreme , but if a predator enters the barn , they are more likely to figure out a way into the chicken playpen than if the predator is outdoor .
How to make a chicken coop predator - validation may seem difficult , but the peace of psyche knowing your flock is safe from predators is well deserving all of your difficult piece of work and effort .
This article about how to make a crybaby hencoop predatory animal - cogent evidence was written for Chickens magazine . Click here to take .
