How to: Predator Proof your Chicken Coop

The best defense is a good offense - when you are building your coop put wire under the ground beneath the coop to stop predators from digging in from below. Rats and many other animals will do it - they are sneaky.

Dig about three to six inches of dirt beneath where you are planning to build and put small mesh chicken wire on the ground.  Connect this wire to the foundation or sides of the coop, then cover with dirt and built the coop up from there.

When I was a kid I raised ducks and one of the saddest days was when I went out to see how Tina was doing on her nest and a raccoon had actually pulled her through the coop wire and eaten her. I cried for days. That was when we got really fine mesh wire for the coop sides rather than regular chicken wire. I suggest you do the same to avoid any sad sad days…

A metal roof is also a good idea to keep predators out, make sure its secure. Its much harder for animals to chew through metal! I also put food and straw in metal bins to keep predators from smelling any potential food.

Common Chicken Predators

Can you say Raccoons?  They look so cute right - but they are devious little devils.  We do have them, even in an urban environment.  Last week I was in bed upstairs reading quietly when my cat Ginger jumped to the window sill and started making the strangest cat noises... yeowling. I jumped up and peered out the window RIGHT into the eyes of a young male raccoon.  He obviously wanted in at this late hour.  I shooed him off the roof but he refused to go.  So my husband Reed went outside, grabbed the hose and proceeded to spray him off the roof saying "be gone you little devil!"  If people in the neighborhood didn't think Reed was crazy yet, they do now.

Not too cute evil devious raccoon

We also had one racoon try to make a home in the large pine tree above the chicken coop, once again a hose of water shooting at him moved him along to find another home, hopefully far away.

I have a friend at work who has chickens, he has had multiple attacks by hawks and eagles, one time wrestling his chicken out of the beak of a bird.  Amazing that he got there in time and the chicken lived.  Unfortunately, once they learn where dinner may be an easy catch, they keep coming back. He has had to keep his chickens in their run most of the time now.

Can you imagine seeing this coming for you?

My chickens run under a bush or tree when they see an eagle in the sky - they have a keen sense of sight and self protect well by gathering in a little group and staying quiet.

Skunks, Posseums and Rats are also local predators in my urban neighborhood and fairly common visitors to the yard even while fenced.   A skunk one time sprayed our dearly departed little jack russell terrier Tina who was too curious over by the coop when it was dark.  Poor Tina, she smelled pretty good after 14 washings, but my laundry room stunk for days.

We also saw a coyote run up the street one day, but it would be nearly impossible for him to get into our backyard since its fenced all the way around.  I did have my son Nick run to get the cats in that day though!

Its important to lock the chickens up as soon as they head into the coop at night to avoid any nightime predators snooping around.  

- Rita