April 22
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While many people believe that chicken wire will keep predators out of the chicken coop, it's often untrue. I have the best solutions for you.
I recently visited my friend's farm during the weekend and had an amazing time tending to the livestock and relaxing in the fields. While feeding her chickens, I noticed that she did not have any chicken wire in the coop. As far as I know, chicken wire is a vital aspect of keeping chickens safe from predators.
It turns out, chicken wire is actually meant for the chickens and not for keeping predators out of the coop. Intrigued, I asked her how to keep predators from digging under chicken coop. Well, here's everything she told me.
Hi! I'm Stacy, and today, I will be sharing all the ways in which you can keep your chicken coop safe from predators. Unfortunately, this problem is all too common, but most people make the same mistake of using chicken wire to protect the coop. Well, not anymore.
Without further ado, let's begin!
Let me begin by addressing the issue of chicken wire first. A lot of people are under the impression that lining a chicken coop with chicken wire is an effective way to protect it against predators.
However, this is simply untrue. In reality, chicken wire is designed for the safety of your chickens - it helps keep them inside the coop. It is mostly ineffective when it comes to predators. Raccoons, snakes, foxes, hawks, owls, all these creatures can easily break the wire and enter the chicken coop.
As such, chicken wire may be an inexpensive formula, but is it hardly effective in keeping predators from digging under the coop. So, what is an effective method? Well, here is everything I found out about it.
Since chicken wire is only minimally effective against specific predators, smaller ones like snakes and rats can easily get through the gaps in the wires. Consider using hardware cloth instead. Any opening in the chicken coop that is larger than 1/4th of an inch should be covered with hardware cloth.
Furthermore, ensure that you secure the cloth to the structure of the coop and windows using screws instead of staples; staples are too flimsy to keep predators out.
Snakes, mice, raccoons, rats, and other small predators are excellent at burrowing. Unfortunately, the soft flooring used by most owners in their chicken coops does not offer much in terms of safety for the chickens.
Once predators successfully burrow into the floors, they can easily reach the chicken coop to attack them and steal eggs. Moreover, even if the predators are not able to consume the chickens whole, they may try to attack or scare them, which can leave your chickens shivering in fear.
Consider creating solid flooring in your chicken coop. You have several flooring options to choose from according to what is available and what you prefer. While wood is one of the best options, you can also opt for concrete, linoleum, vinyl, plywood, rubber mats, and rubberized roof coat material.
In this day and age of modern, smart gadgets, it makes sense to introduce the best ones for your own safety as well as your chicken coops. Several smart devices in the market offer protection from predators.
You can consider installing a night vision camera that will tell you what predators to look out for. Once you have identified the predators, it will be easier to chalk out the right plan of action.
You can also install a Predator Guard gadget which consists of two bright red lights which glow in the dark. These red lights resemble an animal's eyes and can effectively scare predators in the dark that are trying to crawl and dig under the chicken coop.
It is essential to clean the chicken coop regularly. This includes removing any food residue, animal waste, eggs, and other scraps lying around. More often than not, the smell of food lures predators into the chicken coop. So, by eliminating this and keeping the coop clean, you can prevent predators from getting attracted to it.
My friend adopted and raised a couple of beautiful livestock guardian dogs who do an impeccable job keeping the coop safe. Not just that, these dogs are trained to look out for predators, alert owners about them, and even attack them if necessary.
In her opinion, having one or more livestock guardian dogs is a highly effective means of keeping predators at bay. With these faithful dogs outside the chicken coop all day (and night), predators don't dare to approach the coop.
6. Spread Vinegar Around The Perimeter
Most animals do not like the smell of vinegar. In fact, most humans aren't a fan of it either! A simple and effective way to keep predators from digging under the chicken coop is to spread vinegar around the perimeter of the coop. The pungent odor will automatically deter rats, mice, raccoons, and other predators from sniffing around the coop and trying to enter it.
While most of these methods are tried and tested, what works for you may not work for someone else. I recommend testing the methods on your chicken coop and seeing which one works best for you.
As for my friend on the farm, her most preferred methods are the livestock guardian dogs and hardware cloth. However, it may be different for others.
Well, that’s it for today. Don’t forget to leave a comment below and let me know which method worked best for your chicken coop.
Until next time!
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