![]() ![]() Replace the floors with a thicker board if needed, and screw it to the coop securely.Īnother way to make this area even safer is to include the space underneath the nest box inside the fenced run area so critters don't have any way to access the underneath area of the coop. Check your coop to make sure any raised floors are secure and safe. ![]() The design of the coop's nesting box isn't the problem, it's the floor of the nesting box itself. It makes cleaning easy, but it's also easy for a predator to push upwards from underneath and gain access to the coop easily. Some of these coops have a fatal flaw: the often-flimsy wooden floor in the nesting area is simply laid inside. Ready-made coops sold at feed and farm stores usually have a nesting compartment with a lift-up top to make egg-gathering easy. Using a register cover is a great way to add a secure ventilation opening: cut a hole to the appropriate size and screw in the cover, which can be opened or closed according to the weather, just like you'd open or shut a heating vent in your home. We thought that a 4" gap wouldn't be a problem. We left the space under the eaves of our coop's roof open for ventilation, without any covering. It's obviously not animal-proof!Īll ventilation openings should also be covered with hardware cloth or other varmint-proof covering. If you could see what our cats have done to the screen on our front storm door, not to mention the house dog that went right through that screen in his hurry to get outside, you'd know how flimsy screen really is. Screen is too easy to rip apart, and you'll probably want to keep the windows open for ventilation in the summer. ![]() Hook-and-eye or similar hardware is sufficient because the varmints are outside and the latch is inside.Ĭover windows with hardware cloth, not screen, to keep critters out. You can find more information on what your chickens must have inside their coop here.Ĭoop windows should latch securely from the inside. I pointed out that our goal isn't to keep chickens in, but to keep predators out. The Energizer One of the most important parts of the electric fence is the energizer Sometimes called fencers or chargers, you can plug these in, hard-wired, solar-powered, or even run-off batteries T he energizer will state how much energy they output, and some even have a suggested mileage of fence they can reliably charge. He said that they're just chickens and it would keep them in just fine. When we rebuilt our chicken yard, The Chief said poultry wire would be adequate (and cheaper).
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