This is part 4 of my eggciting (sorry) 7 part plans for chicken coop course. If you got to this page by accident, please sign up for the full course using the simple form on the right.
Here’s part 4 of the plans for chicken coops course, and today we’re going to look at:
Protecting Those Lovely Chicken!
Up to now you’ve probably been thinking about size, structure, windows, materials, all manner of “construction” stufff. Then there’s where to put your coop, whether to make it mobile, etc.
If you’ve already got some plans, you’ll have had a chance to look through them. If not I can recommend you have a look at a few different places: HERE, HERE and HERE. Some people might even have planned it all out and done some math to work out what it will all cost. If you’re anything like me you’ll just build the thing anyway, then worry about the total after. Not that I’m silly with money – I have a good look round – but I’m not going to drive thirty miles to save twenty cents on screws – know what I mean?
Anyway, lots of thinking about what it will look like and what tools you’ll need. Now we’ve got to look at safety – because you would be amazed the number of things out there that want to turn your ladies into lunch!
It’s not a question of IF one of them turns up, it’s WHEN. So you’ve got to be ready.
Now I don’t mean you’ve got to spend all night in your yard with a torch and a shotgun (although with the junk that’s on the TV these days, it might be more entertaining). We’re talking about “passive” protection here – or stuff you set up at the start and then don’t have to much bother with after.
First you’ve got to figure the kind of things you might have trouble with. If you’re in the great outdoors the list of creatures that will be licking their lips is scary. Wolves, foxes, coyotes, wolverines, badgers, martens, stoats, eagles, hawks, owls… you might not have all of them in your area, but some of them are lurking in the dark waiting for when your back is turned. In town you might not have so many but urban foxes are a common in many places and dogs and cats can also be a problem. Rats might not bother a full grown chicken, but they’ll take chicks, as will crows.
I hate to be the one to tell you this but one thing is certain. If your birds are unprotected you WILL lose them. So how do you stop that?
Location
I read one bit of advice that said you should put your coop where you can see it – so you can keep an eye on it. Well sure, that’s not bad advice, but you can’t be watching it 24/7 can you.
On the other hand, you certainly don’t want to tuck it away in an area that’s nice and shady, backing onto the woods. You are just inviting the predators to dinner! If it’s out in the open, most of them will think twice about approaching it. They are actually quite cowardly – sneak thieves after an easy meal. If the going gets tough, they’ll usually go elsewhere.
You could consider alarms, or some kind of noise maker, but the problem is they also get set off by any people who go near – so they tend to get annoying. You don’t really want something you have to set every evening.
Structure
So the best defense is to plan for potential problems at the construction stage.
You might have noticed that most good sets of plans create an enclosed area for your birds to roost in that is raised above ground level (mobile or “urban” coops are often like this) or suggest that it should sit on solid foundations – like concrete. This stops those predators that do dig from being able to burrow underneath. Some coops are raised slightly for the same reason.
A good strong fence is never a bad idea, but some can animals dig under and something like a stoat can get through a remarkably small hole. If your chickens are in a secure nesting box they are still safe.
So the golden rule is to take time and care to build your chicken coop properly. Short-cuts might save you a few bucks initially, but they will cost you in the long run if you lose your flock.
You might also want to consider an automatic door – a little expensive, but a great idea if you can’t always be there to let your ladies out in the morning or shut them in at night. I did an article on the blog that you can read HERE, or you can GO HERE for details from the maker and even a video on how to install it. Nothing like as difficult as you might think.
Mostly your hens are in danger from dusk, through the night, until dawn. That’s when most predators are active. If your birds are safe and secure during this time it greatly reduces the chances of something unpleasant happening to them.
That doesn’t mean they’re entirely safe during the day. An injured predator that is starving will take risks it wouldn’t usually consider and household dogs and cats just don’t have the fear of humans that wild animals have.
You probably don’t want to build a chicken coop like Alcatraz, but you can take care with the construction and make sure you follow the plans carefully. Then once your chickens are comfortably installed, just think about what might want to get at them and how you can reduce the chances of that happening. There will never be a perfectly safe chicken, but with forethought you can stop 99% of the problems before they get started.
I’ll talk to you again in a couple of days but in the meantime, if you have any comments or questions do please drop by the blog.