There’s nothing more devastating than waking up to chicken carnage. Chickens are so wonderful, sometimes it seems like every creature wants to eat your hens. Unless it’s time for the stew pot for an old layer, chances are you don’t want them eaten! Make predator proof chicken coops when designing you birds’ home to keep your ladies safe.
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How To Predator Proof Your Chicken Coop
There are myriads of animals that think chickens make a nice snack, but the most common ones in a city setting are going to be raccoons, rodents, and dogs. Thankfully, 1/4 inch hardware cloth will stop both of them. Make sure there are no holes in the coop larger than 1/4 inch to keep mice and rats out.
Staple down your hardware cloth across vents and windows, then drill strips of wood across the edges. I’ve had raccoons move concrete blocks to get to my chickens. Those things are strong and can rip staples right out!
Raccoons are also smart. Basic latches aren’t going to stop them. If you can put a padlock on our chicken door that should stop them for sure, but at the very least use a latch that requires several different motions to open. Here are the type of latches we use on our coop door. 
Related Posts:
- The Best Chicken Coop For Hot Climates
- 55 Best Chicken Coops For Practical People
- What Is The Best Chicken Bedding To Use In Your Coop
- How To Clean Your Chicken Coop The Right Way
Nothing is Foolproof
Perfect predator proof chicken coops only works if you remember to close the door! I forgot to close our coop door one night and woke up suddenly to the hens screaming in panic. My husband rushed outside into the dark and looked inside. It was too dark to see, and I ran for a light and passed it to him.
He flashed the light inside and was eye to eye with a raccoon. I think it was the scariest moment of his entire life. There was actually an entire family of raccoons in our yard, but miraculously we didn’t lose any hens that night.
Predator Proof Your Chicken Run Too
Daytime predators are most likely going to be hawks or dogs. Put sturdy fencing around your property (or at the very least your chicken run) to deter dogs. Placing bird netting over the top of your run will protect your hens from hawks.
If you can’t do that for the whole area, have a more secure inner yard where the flock can spend time when you aren’t available to watch, and let them range farther with supervision. Also, if they have trees, or bushes to hide under they can avoid being snatched by a hawk.
What types of chicken eating critters hang out where you live?
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Cindy
Thursday 5th of September 2019
I just have a question----We live in the city & have had a raccoon attack our coop twice. We had 4 younger girls (bought as chicks) & only 1 survived (Bunny-as we got them @ Easter) & the following year our 2nd round of 4 was attacked,same as last time but my husband killed the raccoon & saved 1 of the girls. She was severely injured & very close to death but we nursed her back & happy to say Noodle (her name cause I'm a chef) is just fine! We got them at Easter as well, but still no sign of any eggs. Could the attack prevent her from ever laying??? She's an ISA Brown & Bunny, her older sister is a Rhode Island Red. Which BTW, she stopped laying too! Not sure what's happening but would love your input! Thanks!
Kathryn
Tuesday 10th of September 2019
Stress can cause chickens to temporarily stop laying. I've never heard it causing a permanent stop. Maybe they're hiding their eggs really well?
Steve
Monday 17th of September 2018
Nice article. I live in PA, we have every kind of predator minus cougar, bear, & wolf. Trial and error led to a predator proof run and coop. 6 x 12 chain link dog run, hardwire metal cloth for 2.5 feet for bottom half all around perimeter, and chicken wire top and bottom encloses. Being a chicken tractor it moves so fresh grass for the 5 australop.
Kathryn
Friday 21st of September 2018
Nice! Sounds like a great set up.
Ami
Thursday 11th of May 2017
One more tip I've picked up over the years is bury a strip of chicken wire six inches down and twelve to twenty-four inches out all the way around the coop. This keeps critters like weasels and dogs from digging under your coop. And my G-ma swears by crystallized predator urine to keep cats, raccoons, and (depending on the kind of crystals) coyotes away. Acts as though the predator has marked its territory, and some animals will avoid the area. She uses Wolf crystals, but there are different ones that will repel different pests, so you may want to research some before you buy.
Kathryn
Saturday 13th of May 2017
Thanks Ami, those are great ideas!
Ann
Thursday 9th of February 2017
I'm sure a concrete floor would be nice. My retired carpenter hubby says that another option for a solid floor is used bricks. You can usually get them pretty cheap, you can sometimes locate excess new bricks through local contractors. He says you can lay a good brick floor by packing them in tight, no need for mortar.
Kathryn
Friday 10th of February 2017
Brick sounds like an economical and fairly easy DIY floor.
Kathryn @ Farming My Backyard
Wednesday 1st of June 2016
Snakes can come in tiny spaces, so try to fill any gaps that are smaller than 1/4 inch. Hardware cloth will work, but yes, it is pricey. Here are some other ideas on how to discourage snakes: http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2013/08/snake-in-duck-house-6-tips-to-repelling.html