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Barnyard Buddies:  Poultry advice  |
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gloria
Farmgirl in Training
12 Posts
Gloria
Chillicothe
Oh
USA
12 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 01 2008 : 11:48:02 AM
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We raise wild turkeys & would like to get chickens again but we have a lot of problems with pesky critters (Coons possums coyotes etc.) getting in their pens @ night & killing them or stealing eggs. One of our hen turkeys was hurt really bad over the weekend by a coon. (My husband had to stitch her up.) We think we caught that one but therre are a lot of them in our area.
Any suggestions? |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
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City_Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
509 Posts
Christina
Omaha
Nebraska
USA
509 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2008 : 12:31:29 PM
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A gal I know here in Nebraska had the same problem and she had to totally tear down and rebuild a new coop.
When I asked a local gentleman at the health department here, which is who issues our city permits, he advised me to steer clear of chicken tractors unless they were daytime use only and that when i build my coop to bend 1-2 inches on the edge of a peice of corogated steel. then bury it into the ground 12 inches and leave 10-12 inches showing above ground. I was told that will keep the digging predators out. Then he told me in our urban area that I would need to be sure that the cover/top of the coop was covered with chickenwire as well; no netting. Be sure when you are covering the post with chicken wire that you do not leave even the slightest gap because the coons will pick it until it comes loose. He even went as far as suggesting that I screw 1 x 2 boards over the wire edges to the posting beam. Don't forget to get the locking latches for all of all doors. He suggested metal roofing for the coop but said that is just going above and beyond. So needless to say I am saving up for more money to get my coop completed. Due to all the suggested up grades he reccomended for my urban farmgirl coop.
He really was a sweet older guy; even if he thought I was the craziest little gal he ever did talk to. n His words not mine! He was please and impressed I was so concerned about actually building a proper coop though.
By the way I have a family of coons in my front tree!
Christina
Farmgirl Sister #195
Although no one can go back and make a brand new start; anyone can start from now
and make a brand new end.
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Ms.Lilly
True Blue Farmgirl
826 Posts
Lillian
Scotts Mills
OR
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2008 : 12:58:25 PM
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We have named our chicken house "Fort Chicken". So far we haven't had a problem with preditors, and we have alot of them around here. This is what we did- Double layer wood floor, 8 foot fencing, 1 foot of fencing is bent down in a "L" shape with very heavy rocks stacked on it (to keep things from trying to dig under), 2 strands of electric fencing wire at 1 foot and 5 feet from the ground, locking gates and slide locks on their little doors into the chicken house. During the day when I am home they "free" range in an area that we created with construction fencing. Before we built this house we had 4 banties in a chicken tractor and you could see the claw marks where the preditors tried to get in. Needless to say we lost them. One last note- our chicken house was completely made of recycled materials except for the 4 corner post.
Lillian |
Edited by - Ms.Lilly on Jul 02 2008 07:56:54 AM |
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La Patite Ferme
True Blue Farmgirl
623 Posts
Jenn
CA
USA
623 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2008 : 8:27:40 PM
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Gloria,
My friend has a coon problem also. She said that using a wire with small holes really helped. Not chicken wire, but something like wire fabric with 1/4 inch holes. Also having someplace for them to get inside that the coons can't reach. |
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DJSmiles
Farmgirl in Training
24 Posts
Darlene
Kalispell
Montana
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2008 : 09:45:04 AM
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I wanted to suggest the backyard chickens forum on the web. They have so many coop designs, and much talk about predator proofing your chicken coop.
I live in town, and my girls are semi-proofed, but I really need to make their run more secure.
I think when building the run, if you sink chicken wire down into the ground a couple of feet, it will stop predators from digging in. You can also add hardware cloth around the bottom edge, and crimp it so it lays flat on the ground for a foot or so around the run, keeping the predators from digging in.
I know that in some areas, hawks and such are a problem as well, and then you would want to cover the coop over with hardware cloth. Lots to think about! |
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EmmJay
True Blue Farmgirl
352 Posts
Mary Jane
Amherst
Nova Scotia
Canada
352 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2008 : 12:39:56 PM
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I still work on keeping coons out...
A friend told me last year to put hair around as predators will not cross it.
Ladies, it worked. I have a friend who is a hairdresser, so I go and collect clippings and spread around the barn.....
knock on wood, have not had any problems in over a year.
The best part of trying this, was FREE!
MJ
"Thank GOD I'm a country girl"
http://s119.photobucket.com/albums/o134/EmmJay07/ |
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Barnyard Buddies: Poultry advice |
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Poultry advice
