Hen Housing - Chick Days - page 33

An enterprising first-time chicken owner builds a coop of his own design in his garage .
Foxes and Hawks and Coyotes - Oh, My!
Not to mention weasels, bobcats, fishers, owls, raccoons, and various stray dogs and
cats. They're all out there, crouching in the hedgerows smacking their lips and scanning
for fresh chicken dinner. It's your job as the guardian of the flock to keep your chickens
safe so that they can produce for you and yours for years to come.
If you live in a city, you may think that means you won't have to worry about predat-
ors—especially the larger ones, such as coyotes—harming your flock. But whether your
backyard setup is urban, suburban, or rural, it will attract animals wanting to crib a meal
from your egg factory. No hen is ever really off the radar, but that doesn't mean keeping
chickens is a synonym for homeland security. There are basic precautions you can take,
and your optionsvary.
At a minimum, always lock up your flock at night. I don't mean turn a literal key; rather,
make sure predators can't invade the place where your birds tuck their heads under their
wings. Even in the most urban of areas, your girls still run the risk of becoming a meal,
so your coop should have a latching door not easily flipped open and chicken wire over
any windows or openings.
If your coop isn't inside a fenced pen and doesn't have a floor, make sure the base is se-
cure from predators that dig, like foxes and dogs. You can attach a foot or two of chick-
en wire to the inside base of your henhouse and let it rest on the floor around the entire