Readers, this is the second of 12 basic homestead skills well be presenting throughout the year from Kimberlee Bastiens new book, 52 Homestead Skills. Your chickens could even decide to range on top of your car, in your garden, or in the middle of the road. In her spare time, she is a hand-spinner, knitter, weaver, homebrewer, cheese maker and avid cook who cures her own bacon. The book details all of Bastiens adventures, from building a beehive and becoming a beekeeper to creating her own laundry and dish soap. Sharing an inspired life from the New England seaside. Weeds, insects, rabbits, ground hogs and even deer are barred from entry by the double wall of fencing and the ever-diligent patrol flock. You can install a right/left-sided triangular or square frame. It's 1x2 rectangle fencing wrapped in chicken wire 4 ' long. CHOPPED GARLIC ADDED TO FEED - BEST CURE FOR MITES/LICE, Geese raising goslings on their own and viability, Quail chicks. With a predator-proof chicken coop, hardware cloth (Amazon), a predator apron, deterrent spikes (Amazon), and predator deterrent lights (Amazon), I havent lost a chicken to predators in over 20 years! It will take them more time to chew through a solid floor. We invite you to join Kimberlee and her family on their homesteading journey. With the shorter 1-by-3 boards facing in, drape the wire mesh over the ends. Hi, can the chicken walk on the fencing in the tunnel or do I need to make wooden footholds ? Fowl Stuff is a Michigan company that has designed an injection-molded cover that adapts 3- and 5-gallon pails for use as nesting boxes. Amanda Rose Newton holds degrees in Horticulture, Biochemistry, Entomology, and soon a PhD in STEM Education. The first thing that I bought on Amazon was called Predator Guard (there are also other kinds of predator deterrent lights available on Amazon). The hens patrol around the garden on the lookout for weeds, seeds, worms, tiny pieces of stones and (best of all) bugs. We chose to build ours 12 feet long, so we used 12-foot 1-by-3 boards and 12 feet of wire mesh. Do you have a plan to keep your flock safe during a storm? We have a post on cold-hardy chicken breeds here to help you out: https://backyardchickenproject.com/cold-hardy-chicken-breeds/. Create your own DIY chicken coop using a truck frame and some basic carpentry skills. Dogs are really useful on a farm. Raising the chicken coop off the ground by 1 foot or more creates an obstacle for small predators to overcome. The completed rectangular coop kit costs around $300 less than the hooped coop, because it uses less expensive white plastic pipe, but it requires slightly more welded wire mesh. , Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures. Predator proofing can't be overdone, as many of us have learned the very hard way. Urine and feces smell will keep predators at bay at night as well. Coop & Run - Design, Construction, & Maintenance. How to keep sparrows/wild birds out of run!? Follow when to start seeds indoors, zone 6 tips, and a calendar for your successful indoor seed starting. This shape offers little protection at the bottom against predators reaching and grabbing at the chickens. For areas where you would like to put chickens wire use 1/2 galvanized hardware cloth instead. When chickens feel safe, they will be more productive with their egg laying. Chicken tunnels for the garden can be simple or elaborate. You can then wire your inner fence to your outer one, as shown in the detail drawing. In white, it comes in 8-foot-wide rolls and costs about $10 per foot. Heres how to keep your hens safe. They may even try to range themselves right into your house because those chickens are no fools; they know where the food and treats come from. Assisted hatch. When an animal tries to dig underneath your coop, theyre not going to dig at the outskirts of the apron. Currently, she is a professor of Horticulture, an Education Specialist, and pest specialist. Its amazing the way they can manage to get into the coop when they really are determined to do so! Chickens love to eat insects and will reduce the number of harmful insects that invade your garden. Since you must have a predator problem on hand, here are additional tips that might help you out. What is the material covering the ground in your outside run? Hardware cloth is more secure and has the durability to withstand a hungry predator. A roof: Make sure you can walk into the run. However, when faced with that classic country conundrum, Do I fence the garden or the chickens? I decided to make a modern adaptation of that medieval practice. Having the chicken tunnel fence act as the third support wall of the tunnel, you spend less money on materials. If you open windows to provide ventilation for your coop, make sure you protect them with scraps of leftover hardware cloth or wire mesh. Just in case a predator like birds of prey come sailing overhead. Cow panels or chicken wire also work, but hardware cloth is a nice happy medium in terms of price . But maybe you tried something new that wasnt their favorite. Construct a Chicken Moat for Effective Garden Pest Control A. Of course, the ramp leading up to the bridge needs to be gradual enough to allow your chickens to maneuver their way up and down. Secure the top of the chicken run with aviary netting or deer netting. ), FREE 812 Chicken Coop Plan (PDF) For 24 to 32 Chickens (or more), Chicken Coop Roof Material Which Types Are Best And Why, Dont Poison Your Flock What Can Chickens EatAnd Not Eat. You can have signs of predators all around you but none will dare come near the coop. Using a plastic storage container as a baby chick brooder, CHOPPED GARLIC ADDED TO FEED - BEST CURE FOR MITES/LICE, Geese raising goslings on their own and viability, Quail chicks. MOTHER EARTH NEWS 52 Homestead Skills follows homesteader Kimberlee Bastien, as she learns one homesteading skill per week over the course of an entire year. That's why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our earth-friendly automatic renewal savings plan. Be extra careful when you cut the two full 18-inch circles because youll use those pieces as lids. The main part of the chicken coop and the attached predator proof run are open 24/7. This super-lightweight, low-cost option works fine if you can place it inside a fenced yard or garden. To have a predator-proof chicken tunnel, you'll need wiring that is designed to protect your chickens. If you place a fertilization station around a tree for a few days, your chickens will remove any vegetation from around the base, eat pests, and deposit a healthy dose of manure. Try motion activated lights to spook predators away. Just like with the eggs sitting in the coop overnight, food scraps could work as a predator attractant. This lip will act as a support for the other large plywood semicircle, which youll screw on when putting them together to create the roof. Perhaps its overkill, but if you dont want to take any chances, you can cover the bottom of the entire chicken run with hardware cloth. The Ultimate Guide to Raising Chickens for Eggs. Lay them parallel to one another 4 feet apart. If you are planning to leave them and let them stay in it you'll want to make sure its predator proof. (Feed that frugal bone of yours when you start finding creative ways to save money on your feed bill.). Each coop needs about 31 linear feet of 36-inch-wide, 1-by-2-inch welded wire mesh to cover the sides and top of the coop, as well as a 10-foot piece of 48-inch-wide, 2-by-4-inch welded wire mesh for the bottom. All you have to do is attach the fencing material to the bottom boards around the perimeter of the chicken coop by hammering in poultry staples. Free 4x4x8 Chicken Coop And Run Plan For Four Chickens, FREE Chicken Coop Plan With Planter Box For Two Chickens, FREE 620 Chicken Coop Plan For Up To 15 Chickens, Free Chicken Coop Plan For Three Chickens, FREE Chicken Coop Plan for Two to Four Chickens, FREE 48 Chicken Coop Plan For 10 Chickens PDF (low design), FREE Chicken Coop Plan For 6 Chickens (or more! You dont have to step over tunneling with this subterranean corridor by providing your chickens an underground connector! Leg problems. That's why I decided to build this site. , Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures. A reel of poly wire and a portable solar charger are an inexpensive option that can save you and your flock from devastation in the long run. For this green coop, we simulated the shape of the classic hoop house or high tunnel. One way to put it all together is to rest the two large plywood pieces on the ground with the tree in the middle. I had a few raccoons that werent affected by the Predator Guard for some reason (they were chill raccoons, I guess), but the deterrent spikes I placed on top of fences where they were coming from helped 100%. About Us | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Cookie Policy / GDPR. You can use low cost materials or add in some better stuff either way, it is sturdy. Other Ways to Protect the Coop From Predators. To exclude deer and other critters, and to. If its just a tunnel between the garden you'll let them used when you're out there only then you can probably get away without them. The hoop coop structures have the option of being a dual purpose building - livestock and vegetable production. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Want to be king or queen of all (the garden) you survey? How would you recommend attaching the hardwire cloth to the frame? We dont mow, ever. Netting should never be used because it offers no protection. I hope this idea works well for him. Hey all, I'm rather new to chickens, I have 16 between the ages of 4 and 8 weeks. One early version, designed in 2003 by MOTHER EARTH NEWS contributing editor Steve Maxwell and Editor-in-Chief Cheryl Long, was a wooden A-frame affair with wheels on one end to help make it easy for one person to move. Run and garden are separated by about 20 feet and it runs along fence line behind shed. Lay down the hardware cloth and cover it with a layer of topsoil. I will definitely send this post to him. Is 12 to 18 inches wide enough for a chicken tunnel? Use Two Step Locks. Photo by Kimberlee Bastien. You'll find tips for slashing heating bills, growing fresh, natural produce at home, and more. Predator proofing the coop Your coop should be made of strong, sturdy materials that cannot be penetrated by digging paws and gnashing teeth. Cheap Predator-Proof Chicken Run A safe run equals happy chickens, and you want happy chickens or else you won't get any eggs. One of the hardest things in keeping chickens is keeping those chickens out of the reach of chicken predators. We've got one of the best predator proof chicken coop plans. The width should be a minimum of 2. That's why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our earth-friendly automatic renewal savings plan. Make sure to pay close attention to the corners where you attach the seams of the fencing material together. It scares them and makes them stay away from your yard. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Construct a Chicken Moat for Effective Garden Pest Control, Ep. If you have cats, elevate your coop floor about a foot off the ground. Free Chicken Coop Plans is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. (Side perk: It will keep your hens from eating their own eggs.). To have a predator-proof chicken tunnel, youll need wiring that is designed to protect your chickens. Once you are done, you can sit back and enjoy the show. Stop approximately 4 inches short of the outside ends. These are some of our favorite treats for our chickens. So always use metal locks that avoid rusting and require two steps to open- such as ones with a spring protected latch or a slide and twist mechanism. Also. Youd also be wise to dig a trench and partly bury the outer fence (holding it down with cedar stakes) to discourage burrowing varmints. The design is simple and utilizes materials that are long lasting, recyclable, and biodegradable. Wherever you would use chicken wire, such as window areas for ventilation, around the bottom, or to make the run, use hardware cloth instead. They will need a place or two where they can quickly run to hide when they sense danger. Small coops can be encircled with electric poultry netting to keep predators away. The most common livestock guardian dog breeds are Great Pyrenees. A solid floor will keep any burrowing invaders like rats or raccoons from getting in. Free Chicken Coop Plans is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. !Thanks for watching please like the video subscribe to the channel (it. These large chicken tractor plans are perfect for raising broiler chickens. If you like to feed your hens treats(And who doesnt? Right triangle (typically used along fencing), Left triangle (typically used along fencing). First and foremost, your chickens will be happy little birds. Build this easy adobe bread and pizza oven in your backyard over the weekend. I fenced both fowl and cropswith a chicken moat. Prevent climbing predators from accessing the chicken run from the top. Avoid chicken wire. Make sure even the smallest of holes are secured. And weve quit losing hens to hawks since the moat was constructedthose raptors avoid the potential entrapment of two fences so close together. However, some dogs will go after chickens themselves, so you need to train them not to chase and "play" with them. A predator apron is simply fencing material that is installed above the ground and runs along the perimeter of the chicken coop and enclosed run. Celebrate your rural roots this holiday season by making a homemade gingerbread barn, and start a new holiday tradition with your family. At this point, you really dont have a choice but to find a way to contain your wayward flock. See, you can develop creative ways to enhance your chickens environment while having fun doing it. These portable chicken coops are designed so that either end drops down for access to feeders and waterers, and to allow your chickens out while youre there to supervise (your presence should deter predators). But one evening we had a raccoon break into our first chicken coop at dusk. We chose pre-bent plastic hoops, which made assembly even faster. The area just in front of the bottom of your fence lines is wasted space. Whether you have a backyard, garden, or rural setting, you can build a fantastic superhighway for your feathered friends! Coop & Run - Design, Construction, & Maintenance, https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208, https://www.backyardchickens.com/thder-2020-version.1529488/page-7#post-25809665. Install rust-proof locks on your doors. It helps to keep the chicken run cooler in the summer. You didnt think having chickens could get this interesting, did you? This was fine when we lived in a forest, but now we live amongst grass and hayfields. Some people have commented they thought theyd have to choose between their chickens or their garden but this solution accommodates both! Minks, mice, rats and snakes can squeeze through chicken wire and fisher cats are strong enough to pull the wire apart and gain access. Keep in mind that with this design, there isnt a space for your chickens to roost. Throughout the day, the hen patrol moves all around the garden (but never in it), munching on all those things hens love: weeds, seeds, worms, tiny pieces of stones and (best of all) bugs. My suggestion would be to use the light to signal YOU that somethings up and to go check it out. For some chicken keepers/gardeners, this can be an excellent solution a win win for both the flock and the garden. You must move it from tree to tree every few days because it wont take long for your chickens to fertilize the area and scratch away anything that dare grows. It gets cold here in the winters and hot here in the summers. Part of creating a predator-proof chicken coop is to make sure youre not managing your flock in such a way that you are attracting predators to find their next meal in your backyard. Dont risk losing your backyard chickens to predators! Watch Now: How to Truss a chicken Article Sources Here are some of the things I did when I designed my chicken coop and run. I guess they would have to be changed out pretty often. Patricia Foremans City Chicks: Keeping Micro-flocks of Laying Hens as Garden Helpers, Compost Makers, Bio-recyclers and Local Food Suppliers is, as its title suggests, aimed at city dwellers who want to keep a few hens. Canadian Subscribers International Subscribers, Canadian subscriptions: 1 year (includes postage & GST). This protective enclosure for the garden uses chickens as an effective garden pest control along with a moat to protect your crops. Thank you Pasindu! Hardware cloth (the finer mesh the better) is more expensive but much more of a deterrent. Of course, the ramp leading up to the bridge needs to be gradual enough to allow your chickens to maneuver their way up and down. This portable coop with a welded iron frame is solid and predator-proof indeed, and it will last forever, but Long reports the steel frame makes it too heavy for some people to move easily (and youd have to find a welder to build it for you if you dont have that skill). Undaunted, Long next designed an ultra-sturdy coop, MOTHERs Mighty Chicken-Mobile, in 2011s Build an Affordable, Portable and Predator-Proof Chicken Coop. Hens are great converters of kitchen waste into valuable manure for the garden, and every chicken owner we know takes a lot of pleasure in just watching the chickens noodle around in the yard. The shape of this coop saves a bit of money on the cost of the welded wire mesh because it uses a little less than the rectangular coop. THE NATURALLY BUG-FREE GARDEN: CONTROLLING PEST INSECTS WITHOUT CHEMICALS. Remember that when building your chunnels, dont let your chickens have access to the garden itself because they will destroy it. It scares foxes, deer, wolves, coyotes, skunks, bears, and many other nighttime predators. Having areas to explore provides stimulation, and yes, chickens can become bored with the same old run. Chicken tunnels for the garden or outdoor area have become a trend among chickeneers, especially in urban settings. For those of you with bears or large cats, consider installing an electric fence or welcoming a live stock protection dog to your home. Leave at least 3/4 inch of mesh overhanging at each end of the boards. Do you mean the run? In 2007, Long presented another coop idea in Portable Chicken Mini-Coop Plan. . Chickeneers put their thinking caps on and come up with some unique ways to incorporate chunnels in a backyard, around a garden, up and over existing chunnels, and even underground passes. Especially in conjunction with hardware cloth, this can be an effective approach. Install a predator apron around your chicken coop to deter burrowing and digging predators. Nothing other than insects can penetrate this wire! Safe and sound! Works like a charm! Circo Innovations offers MOTHER EARTH NEWS readers specially priced kits with all of the fittings and pipes cut to size, as well as kits of just the needed fittings. You must have a safe, predator-proof chicken coop. And, dont worry, theyre programmable so you dont have to be concerned about closing your hens out. Hey, look! Map the route for your chicken tunnel while taking into consideration the specifications of your back yard. A chicken tunnel, also known as a chunnel, is an extension of the chicken coop/run. Nothing other than insects can penetrate this wire! For me on Cape Cod, this includes birds of prey, coyotes, fox, fisher cats, raccoons, snakes, rats, mice, minks, neighborhood dogs, wild birds, cats and possibly humans. The cats will crawl under and eliminate any rodents or other small, annoying visitors. Pre-drill a hole through each pair of wooden stops for a locking screw. What Can I Put Around My Chicken Coop To Keep Predators Away? Make sure you read reviews and find the most reliable products to meet your needs. (rarely used, prefabricated chicken tunnels occasionally come in this shape). Predators seek out chickens in a number of ways. It's sturdy and not easily ripped open, unlike chicken wire which is not predator-proof and better left for the craft cabinet. I also have many backyard predators. for your chicken tunnel. All in all, its a clever solution to the fowl raisers dilemma of whether to fence the birds or the garden: Fence both! At 39 1/2 inches wide and just under 9 feet long, its roomy for up to four birds, even with a third of it acting as an enclosed shelter. Some chicken owners have gone to great lengths to create a maze of tunnels that are underground, above ground, and even include towering bridges above the yard. Alternately, you can bury a predator apron just below the surface of the soil, parallel to . They're in their coop right now, but we've built a chicken tunnel and a run and I could use some suggestions on predator proofing. Widely regarded as an expert in small-scale chicken breeding and raising, plus how to put chickens to work, Ussery also discusses ducks, geese and other kinds of poultry within the book. They can forage for a good portion of their own food, while getting plenty of exercise and stimulation along the way. For some reason, predators love to start digging in the corners. Do use 1/2 inch hardware cloth to secure openings in your coop. You should move it on a regular basis to provide your chickens with regular forage and to avoid over-fertilization of a single spot. This portable predator proof chicken coop DIY is low-cost and easy to make for just about anyone. Both coops use the durable corrugated plastic to provide shelter for the chickens. Like its portable predecessors, this coop-with-run is designed for three to four chickens. Urine and feces smell will keep predators at bay at night as well. Not to mention, keeping food put away will keep the rats out of your chicken coop. Although a bit more expensive, it will last longer and be more resistant to rot and deterioration in the elements. Finally, another way to help protect your chickens is to keep the coop clean and free of food scraps. Growers Supply also offers 4-by-8-foot sheets of 8-millimeter material, which is slightly less flexible. Just like the chunnel, this system isnt permanent. It really depends on what you're going for. They preferred the cover of pine trees and one by one, they were eventually taken by Barred owls. Choose two-step locks or ones that require the use of opposable thumbs to get open. In my experience, these fences rarely work to keep chickens in, but they will keep predators out. But those same trees, bushes, and grasses that serve as a cover for free-range chickenscan also hide ground predators. This pen is framed with 1-inch Schedule 40 plastic pipe, and its walls are covered with 1-by-2-inch welded wire mesh. Scribe the other two circles approximately 24 inches from and at 90 degrees to the center of the long edge of each 8-foot semicircle piece. Weve got one of the best predator proof chicken coop plans. If you simply can not remember to close up your chickens at night or youre not home in the evenings, the best way to protect your flock is to take advantage of a nifty piece of modern technology: automatic chicken doors. Something to consider when building your chunnel is that the frame and covering should be durable enough to withstand predators standing on it or reaching through. The third layer of protection could be to use hardware cloth instead of chicken wire. A PVC hoop house lets you grow raised bed greens in the snow. Photo by Kimberlee Bastien. Their natural desire is to protect their ladies. Build a Movable Coop for Around Trees Tools & Materials 2 sheets of 1/2-inch plywood, 4 by 8 feet 4-foot piece of string that we have seen! It has been a challenge. This will help predator proof for digging predators. Leg problems. LaySomeEggs.com may contain links to affiliate websites, and I receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. Depending on the size of your predators (bears! Smooth out the temperature range in your greenhouse by adopting one of these strategies for heating greenhouses. Either way, youll have a blast building them. It is very interesting. You have to evaluate your biggest predator risks to determine which is best for your situation. Official BYC Poll: How Often Do You Clean Your Coop? I think Advan Tech OSB Subfloor is a really great choice considering your chickens will be putting a lot of moisture on the floor from the top. At MOTHER EARTH NEWS for 50 years and counting, we are dedicated to conserving our planet's natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. Just as the bridge for your chicken tunnel system, the underground passage is yet another ingenious integration of chicken tunneling. Bonus! And also I like to use fresh pine shavings inside the coop. Continue attaching the mesh along the perimeter in this fashion to create the tunnel shape. When used with poultry, the hoop coop is designed to be predator-proof, allowing birds access to pasture without worrying about flock loss. The run is tall enough to walk in and also has a roof to keep the flock safe. When I think about predators, I think about how outside critters can do harm to my flock. If you fail to collect eggs every day, they are sitting in there like little orbs of bait, attracting all kinds of predators. When chickens are overcrowded it makes them susceptible to bad behavior such as feather picking and diseases and illness. You can get as creative as you want in building a chunnel. DIY can provide great insulation savings. Because we sometimes house our chickens in the chunnel overnight, we decided to cut some old wire shelving we had on hand and stick it in the ground along the edges of the chicken tunnel to prevent predators from digging underneath. The less space you allow, the more prone your chickens will be in the event a predator reaches in to grab your chickens. The area just in front of the bottom of your fence lines is wasted space. An electric training collar can be an invaluable tool if your dog is bred to go after chickens (like a retriever). First Home Eggs Adopt-an-Egg Hatch a Long. They will be stress free and this helps to keep your flock healthy and happy. By using Coke bottle greenhouses, I avoid this issue. Created after Maxwell and Long conferred with poultry experts, the coop is a gorgeous piece of work (read more about it in MOTHERs Mini-Coop) meant to last for years. Theres no way animals can rip the seam apart this way. We used leftover pieces of mesh and wood to fill in the area between the tree and the plywood. Chicken wire is not a good choice for the predator-proof chicken coop and run. A predator apron is simply fencing material that is installed above the ground and runs along the perimeter of the chicken coop and enclosed run. I set out to create a coop design that would be low-cost, easy to build, light enough to move easily and scaled to fit well even in small backyards, Long wrote. Install the remaining 4-inch 1-by-3 boards about 3/8 inch in from the previous eight pieces, creating slots to sandwich the mesh in place. Erect your outer fence first, bracing it securely with diagonal posts at all corners and ends. At some point, youre guaranteed to accidentally step in it right before you hop in your car or truck and wonder, What the heck is that nasty smell?. You have even shown different shapes of this. Its sized to fit on a raised garden bed so the chickens can till up the soil with their scratching. Raccoons are so smart that they can open any lock that a 2 year old child can. Chicken feathers insulated them from the shock. Bastiens flock made short work of the tall grass around this fruit tree. Another option for securing the bottom of the coop is to use a singleelectric wire near the ground so that a predator such as a rat or a raccoon will get its nose shocked when it tries to burrow under. To keep the seam secure, you can use hog rings and a hog ring plier to fasten the fencing material where it overlaps. (Two years ago, when our neighbors garden was nearly devastated by grasshoppers, our hens gorged themselves on the invading horde and saved our plot.) I may also earn a commission when you buy through other links on my site. Position your trap near your coop and entice the predators with bait that is even more luring than the chickens themselves will be. By making these simple changes, you can help keep your birds safe from harm. Other colors are available but cost more. As long as you have a decent-sized backyard and a little bit of free time and patience, you can enjoy raising chickens and their delicious eggs. Unroll the wire mesh so it runs the perimeter, then lift the plywood pieces, and place them on top of the wire mesh. Can they kill a chicken or chicks, introduce disease, or even steal my flock? are hens less friendly when they have a rooster? But youre smarter than they are. Canadian Subscribers International Subscribers, Canadian subscriptions: 1 year (includes postage & GST). Gardeners LOVE having chicken tunnels for the garden to reduce garden pests and insects. Happy chickens that are continually exploring the tunnels are less likely to be overweight. Learn today how to better insulate your house yourself. Garden pests are stopped by the chicken buffer on their way to destroy your fresh veggies. When they grow to be too large, our hens would pace the perimeter searching for the smallest breach in the fence so they could scoot underneath and find freedom. After youve assembled the run, create a small door in the wire mesh so you can gather your chickens into a movable chunnel before disassembling and then reassembling the unit around the next tree. This can be used in addition to basic precautions such as a coop floor and hardware cloth.