How to build a coyote proof chicken coop?

[Color_of_Light]

I’m just curious about what people have done to keep coyotes out of chicken coops. Can you surround the pen with hot wire? Or, can you electrify the chicken coop fence itself and then maybe lay a hot wire around the base of the pen, so coyotes will be discouraged to dig under? It’s been a long time since we’ve had chickens. Like, so long that I am a clueless chicken newby. I’m entertaining the the thought of getting some chickens again but coyotes are my biggest concern. Will coyotes torment the chickens at every given chance, even if they can’t get at them, and will they eventually give up? Just wondering if chickens are a possibility without too much worry.

Another thought: if you want the chickens to periodically go semi free range (maybe a large mesh fenced pasture), can you build something like a roost or a coyote safe hut that they can escape into?

[neversaynever]

I have a dog pen (hardware cloth on bottom 3 ft that is attached to the coop. A very hot electric poultry net surrounds the coop and pen and allows access to a large open area. It keeps out everything but hawks. I feed crows who keep the hawks away. I do have a couple chickens that fly over the top of the netting every day but they return at night to the coop. For good measure we close the pen at night. Haven’t lost a single chicken since we put up the net. Prior to that we let them free range but started loosing a lot during the day to neighbors’ dogs and probably foxes. I haven’t seen a coyote hunting during the day in my area but hear them almost every night.

[Bluey]

Find someone in your area that builds some of these, very varmint proof:

https://www.facebook.com/Quick-Sheds-by-Little-R-Ranch-734055416686626/

[moving_to_dc]

We have an Anatolian LGD. Our chickens are 100% free range, and we haven’t lost one yet to a predator. I don’t even lock them in at night - their coop is a converted garden shed with a 6’ wide door that stays wide open all night, no issues.

[trubandloki]

Our chicken coop is coyote proof (and pretty much anything else proof).
1/2" Hardware cloth, not chicken wire. You have to use a strong wire, not something easily ripped thru.
The Hardware cloth is buried and makes a pan under the coop. No amount of digging is going to get them to a point of not running into hardware cloth. Solid roof.
Door have latches at the top and the bottom so they can not be pulled open.
Hardware cloth over the windows so when they are open nothing can get in.

Now, Mr. Trub is an over acheiver. You can just bury the hardware cloth down a bit and bend it out so they dig and hit the metal mesh and they will give up.

[Color_of_Light]

These are great ideas! Thank you! The Anatolian LGD idea is an interesting one that I never thought of. Did you get the dog as a puppy?

[moving_to_dc]

@Color of Light

These are great ideas! Thank you! The Anatolian LGD idea is an interesting one that I never thought of. Did you get the dog as a puppy?

We got her at 1 yr of age, she was already trained to sheep, goats and cattle, but not chickens. She did kill a few chickens during the first few months after we got her, but that was 7 years ago. We just needed to teach her to NOT play with the chickens. It was kinda hard at first because she was still in the puppy stage, but it was finally like a light bulb went off, and we would look out to see the chickens sitting on her as she was snoozing in the grass.

[walkinthewalk]

Google “chicken coops on wheels”. I had a neighbor who built really nice chicken coops with fence bottoms. They were on wheels so he could move the chickens to different areas of the yard. The chickens were able to readily eat tnru whatever mesh he used and he never lost any to the coyotes.

I hated when he moved because his chickens kept the tick population to near zero, even though they were always confined to that rolling chicken coop:)

i don’t see his FB page anymore so he may have stopped building them, but there are other plans on the Net.

[Calvincrowe]

Huh. Never have we had issues with coyotes and our chickens. Hawks? Yes. Dogs? Yes. Once with a raccoon but coyotes haven’t figured in our fencing plans. We have 8 foot no climb around the perimeter of our chicken grass paddock-- a leftover from a goat pen. The actual chicken coop is standard chicken wire, buried 2 feet down. Do you currently have issues with coyotes preying on your pets?

[Color_of_Light]

Unfortunately, yes. I’ve had two dogs attacked by coyotes in the last 5-6 years. Both dogs are fine. Most recent was my 12 lb little dog. A coyote snuck up to him while he was sleeping on my porch. It was 9 am in June. My front door was wide open. My little dog got away screaming, ran into my house. I ran around the corner hall yelling and towards my front porch. There was a coyote on my lawn about to jump into my house! It had already been on my door step to try to get my sleeping dog. Little dog was fine, just had two little lacerations. The coyote was full grown, youngish, big and very healthy. After than, trappers, neighbors took down 11 and a 12th (I think those were the numbers) was smooshed by a car out on the road at my driveway.

There has been an established coyote den two properties behind mine since before I moved here about 16 years ago. We can go weeks or even a month or more without hearing coyotes. I haven’t seen one at all this year. But I’ve heard them a few times. I see their poop all the time when I walk around my property.

The area where the chickens would go is back by the indoor arena. Between house and indoor. That is in the direction of the coyote den. That is also near where some hawks live.

[Color_of_Light]

@walkinthewalk

Google “chicken coops on wheels”. I had a neighbor who built really nice chicken coops with fence bottoms. They were on wheels so he could move the chickens to different areas of the yard. The chickens were able to readily eat tnru whatever mesh he used and he never lost any to the coyotes.

I hated when he moved because his chickens kept the tick population to near zero, even though they were always confined to that rolling chicken coop:)

i don’t see his FB page anymore so he may have stopped building them, but there are other plans on the Net.

Chicken coop on wheels…SWEET! What a neat idea!

Aside from wheel, I could also see building it on skids, like a portable horse shelter that I have. I’d be pulling it with my tractor anyway.

[dog_amp_horsemom]

I think thats great that you are building a predator proof enclosure for your chickens. I was riding my horse down the road one day and saw a hawk swoop down and grab my neighbors pet bantam - throw it against the barn and eat it. Coyotes are usually less of a problem than hawks, fox and mostly raccoons - not to mention neighbors dogs. I saw that Jeffers catalog sells a motion light also for predator proofing. I can’t blame any wild animal for wanting to eat the chickens - that’s why its easier for me to just buy eggs at the store!

[Mukluk]

There are coyotes where I live. I would like to get chickens but first I need to build fort knox. I am probably only going to have about 5 or 6 chickens. I am thinking of buying a welded wire dog kennel and then putting their coop within that. I will also plan to have hardware cloth across the bottom of the dog kennel. And then possibly electric fencing and one of these…

[Mukluk]

…https://www.amazon.com/Predator-Guard-Deterrent-Nocturnal-Accessories/dp/B00E51X8Q8/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1492055460&sr=8-11&keywords=predator+light

[Color_of_Light]

@Mukluk

There are coyotes where I live. I would like to get chickens but first I need to build fort knox. I am probably only going to have about 5 or 6 chickens. I am thinking of buying a welded wire dog kennel and then putting their coop within that. I will also plan to have hardware cloth across the bottom of the dog kennel. And then possibly electric fencing and one of these…

Fort Knox! LOL Ain’t that the truth? Could build a moat, but coyotes could swim. Maybe an electrified field of chain link all around the coop. Slightly suspended and insulated from the ground. Easy on/off switch for humans. Coyotes would try to walk through the chain link, get their paws stuck between the holes in the chain link, and get the shock of their lives. I was just looking on CL for chain link panels and dog runs. Lots of options on there.

[2DogsFarm]

For hawks all you need is a visual barrier to roof your henyard.
For several years I spread deer netting from side to side covering the open area of the fenced yard - stapled to the fencing.
But snowload kept knocking it down, so I switched to baler twine strung in a grid pattern - about 1’ squares.
That’s been up for 3yrs & snow does not take it down.
We have a LOT of redtail hawks here cruising the skies & not one has ever tried landing in my yard.
I have found a juvenile sitting just outside the open coop door, but apparently it could not figure out how to get to the hens in the yard.

Coyotes here have not yet tried digging under the fencing to get in the yard, but the coop is pretty close to the house.
Fencing is chickenwire with an apron running about 1’ around the perimeter, buried facing out.
Hens are locked in at night with a door double-screened with chickenwire & hardware cloth.
I did lose one hen to a raccoon when I forgot to close the screened door. My Bad, coons are not nice.
They have a screened window that has a hardware cloth barrier on the outside.
Redneck Fort Knox :tickled_pink: