#Chicken predators windows

Although they technically can't fly, chickens do a pretty good job at getting over low fences. Simple bird netting or plastic poultry netting will suffice over the top to keep the raptors out and also work to keep any wayward chickens in. While owls generally hunt by night, and hawks and eagles tend to be out in greater numbers early in the day, they all can be a threat to your chickens while they are outside. Hawks, eagles and owls will all make a try for your chickens if given the chance. Not only can fox and raccoon climb very well and could easily climb over, there are aerial predators to consider. The top of your run or pen should be covered as well. Digging a trench around the run and filling it with rocks or metals scraps can also make digging underneath the fencing to gain access more difficult. Run fencing should be sunk into the ground at least 8-12 inches and then angled outward so if a predator tries to dig, they will be thwarted by the fencing. Chain link is effective against larger predator such as bobcat or bear, but will allow access to smaller predators like weasels, snakes and rats and the occasional raccoon who tries to reach through the fencing to grab a chicken. Run fencing should also be welded wire-1' will usually be sufficient-because chicken wire, as mentioned earlier, won't keep a dog or fox out of the pen. Snakes and rats will come around looking for eggs or baby chicks to eat.Д¬hickens are safest when they are kept penned up during the day in a large enclosed run. Dogs are also a danger to backyard flocks. Although dusk and dawn are the preferred hours to hunt for predators such as fox and coyotes, it's not uncommon to see them in broad daylight.

While a coop should keep your chickens safe at night, there are still predators that hunt by day. Read more about chicken coop design considerations.

If you can't be home until later in the evening,В an automatic coop door is helpful since it shuts as dusk approaches once the chickens have all gone to roost. Solar-powered blinking lights installed around the perimeter of the coop can help to keep wild animals at bay, since they believe the red lights are the eyes of another predator. (Chicken wire is useless as window covering since a raccoon or other animal can easily chew through it.)

#Chicken predators windows

Windows and vents should be covered with 1/2' welded wire to prevent even the smallest of weasels from gaining access. Locking your chickens up in aВ coop with latches on the doors that even a wily raccoon can't open is your best line of defense against a night attack. It's rare to see a raccoon, opossum, weasel, coyote, fisher cat or wolfВ out and about during daylight hours, although a hungry or sick animal can become desperate and emerge from hiding. It's just a matter of being smarter and more vigilant than the predators.ДЇortunately, most of the common predators are predominantly nocturnal and hunt mainly under the cover of darkness. But realistically, it's not a losing proposition to raise chickens. They exist in urban, suburban, and of course rural areas, and are always on the lookout for an easy meal. No matter where you live, you have to worryВ about predators. Unfortunately, chickens are very low on the food chain and pretty much everything wants to eat them.