So, if you've been losing birds in the night, or you've just got a flock and want to make sure they can have a safe night's sleep, here are our top tips for predator-proofing a chicken hutch.
Don't Leave Your Chickens Outside Overnight
The vast majority of predators who prey on backyard chickens are nocturnal. Chickens are much safer if they spend the night safely inside a locked coop. Training your chickens to return to their coop at night should be a priority as soon as you get them.
Don't Rely on Chicken Wire
Chicken wire is there to keep your chickens contained, not to keep them safe. There are a whole host of creatures that are smart enough, or strong enough to simply bypass a chicken wire fence. Raccoons can open it, weasels, snakes, and foxes can dig under it, and hawks can reach right through it.
Hardware Cloth Is Your Best Friend
Chicken wire isn't going to keep predators out, but ½ inch hardware cloth will. This hardwearing tooth and claw resistance wire mesh is the best thing to keep unwanted visitors away from your chicken and out of your coop. Ideally, you'll want to cover any opening around the coop or the run that is greater than ¼ of an inch to be sure your chickens are fully protected. When securing your hardware cloth always use screws and washers as some predators are heavy enough to force even the heaviest staples loose.
Elevate Your Coop
If your chosen coop has a wooden floor, you'll need to elevate your coop on stilts. If the wooden floor is sat on bare earth, it will eventually rot and this will allow access for predators like rats, weasels and snakes.
Give Your Coop a Skirt
If your run or coop has a dirt floor, you'll need to take steps to ensure they can't be burrowed into. The best way to achieve this is to either bury hardware cloth two feet down or to have a skirt of hardware cloth two feet out from the coop. In order to do this effectively, you'll need to get plastic coated hardware cloth, especially if you plan to bury it. Galvanized hardware cloth will start to break down within just a few years.
Install a Roof
While stringing fishing wire access the top of a coop can sometimes deter hawks, it won't keep out climbing predators like rats, raccoons, and weasels. Installing a wooden frame roof covered in ½ inch hardware cloth will close off another avenue that predators can use to get to your precious chickens.
Padlock Your Doors
Having a padlock on the door to your chicken coop is a great way to prevent nimble-fingered raccoons, particularly clever cats, or criminally minded people from getting access to your chickens while they sleep.
Use Shock Wires to Deter Bears
Most of our advice so far has been for preventing smaller predators, like rats, raccoons, and foxes from getting to your chickens. However, even the most securely installed hardware cloth isn't going to do more than slow down your average bear. If you happen to live in bear country, installing electric wires makes an excellent deterrent. Install your live wires between one and four feet above the ground on all sections of the run except the door. Thankfully, bears generally aren't smart enough to figure out that they need to avoid certain sections of metal to prevent themselves from getting shocked.
Store Feed Properly
Exposed feed stores attract both vermin, which can attract predators, and opportunistic scavengers like raccoons, who will be entirely happy to go after your chickens as well. Keep your feed bins locked away, especially at night, and make sure all your chicken feeders are emptied at the end of the day.
Remember to install two-stage locks on your feed storage to prevent nimble-fingered raccoons from gaining access.
Invest in a Flock Guardian
If you're having real problems with predators then you might consider investing in a flock guardian.
The obvious choice is a dog, with Great Pyrenees and Sheppard's making excellent choices. However, there is a whole range of animals, such as geese, donkeys, and even llamas, that make wonderful guardians.
Keep Your Flock Safe
The aftermath of a predator attack on your flock can be devastating. However, if you follow our guide and implement some of our easy tips, you should be able to keep your flock safe from even the most persistent nocturnal attackers.
