May 27, 2012 5,075 1,445 ⦠Elevate the coop. Build a chicken run without digging post holes, without messing with cement and using minimal tools and materials. Run fencing should also be welded wireâ1â will usually be sufficientâbecause chicken wire, as mentioned earlier, wonât keep a dog or fox out of the pen. Whilst this design can be used for chickens and quail (with the Iâve seen a hawk go 20 feet into a dark enclosed space just to kill a chicken. Thread starter Mark; Start date Jul 19, 2015; Forums. How to Predator Proof a Chicken Coop â 4 Easy Ways From hawks that fly above to raccoons and foxes, to snakes, cats and digging predators, like rodents, there is nary a critter that will not find your chickens tasty. Plus they wonât take someoneâs eye out like twisted wire will. The old run had so much twisted wire attached to the panels it was messy and dangerous. Predator proof both coop and runs. Keep feed from pests. Zip ties will keep you from cursing, they donât rust, and they attach in a âzipâ ;). Creating a predator-proof chicken coop will keep the birds safe when roosting at nightâadding a predator-proof chicken run will prevent daytime predators from attacking your chickens. This chicken coop is elevated off the ground to provide ⦠Other Self Sufficiency Disciplines. The hens get locked every night in their sleeping quarters. Hardware cloth and a Chicken Guard automated door is a step in the right direction. This will encourage them to dig away from the runâs fence line and further predator proof your chicken coop. Mark Founder. Chain link is effective against larger predator such as bobcat or bear, but will allow access to smaller predators like weasels, snakes and rats and the occasional raccoon who tries to reach through the fencing to grab a chicken. Lots of testing and experiments were done to check our smart chicken coops with the help of neighborhood predators by exposing them to ⦠Predator Proof. I learned the hard way with what I thought was a predator-proof run. Placing paving slabs or burying wire mesh around the perimeter of the run will help to deter them. It is important to make sure that your coop and run are predator proof. Visual deterrents and plantings I also really like the idea of putting one or several 2×6 (or larger) piece of wood along the base of the run. Donât underestimate predator drive to kill your chickens. Feb 23, 2014 - What are your suggestions for a predator proof chicken run? Poultry, Domestic Livestock, Pets, & Bees. All of them are painstakingly tested. Now you can take those tips and make your own predator proof chicken run. May 22, 2017 - What are your suggestions for a predator proof chicken run? Building a predator proof chicken run with recycled fallen trees. So please don't take anything I say as an attack or as me trying to one up. Use half inch hardware cloth for sides, top, and skirt. Everything is now reinforced and locked. Staff member. Keeping predators out of the chicken coop is a necessity. Predators like raccoons, foxes, owls, even neighborhood dogs are known to attack backyard chickens at night or in plain daylight. Confine chickens to a predator proof space at night. 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. Use hot wires in bear country. Our chicken coops with run are predator proof. Cover windows with hardware cloth. ANSWER: Thanks for your support! Even the neighbors dogs can be your flockâs worst nightmare. I first want to state that I am not trying to disrespect life long chicken owners or anyone that has built there own coop and run and called it predator proof. Raccoons can both climb and dig. Hardware cloth should be fitted over coop windows. Apr 7, 2015 - What are your suggestions for a predator proof chicken run? Did you know that in⦠Enough said. Though The Smart Chicken Coop sells predator-proof chicken runs, we encourage our customers build their own runs, or to use our Smart Coop runs in combination with a homemade run. Use hardware cloth that is 1/4 or 1/2 inch.