Predator losses are the leading cause of poultry failure, and each predator needs its own defence: fencing buried 30 cm (or bent outward along the ground) against foxes, coyotes and dogs, a covered run against hawks and owls, no opening larger than 2.5 cm and hardware cloth against weasels and mink, and mesh of 1.2 cm or less against snakes. Close and latch the coop door every night.
Part of Barn & Livestock Housing Design
Predator-proofing is the matching of coop fabric, fencing and habits to the specific animals that hunt poultry in a given place.
One Gap Defeats The Whole Coop, So Each Predator Sets A Different Gap Size
A fence that stops a fox does nothing about a weasel, and a roof that stops a hawk does nothing about a snake. The design question is which animals hunt your birds and what each can pass through, over or under. Measure openings against the smallest animal on your list, not the largest.
| Predator | What it does | Defence |
|---|---|---|
| Fox, coyote, dog | Digs, mostly active at night | Fence buried 30 cm, or bent outward in an apron along the ground; door closed and latched each night |
| Hawk, owl | Strikes from above | Covered run: wire mesh, netting, or overhead lines spaced 30-45 cm apart to break the dive path |
| Weasel, mink | Passes through very small gaps | Seal any opening larger than 2.5 cm; use hardware cloth (welded mesh), not chicken wire |
| Rat | Kills chicks, steals eggs | Raise the coop 30-45 cm; keep feed in metal containers with tight lids |
| Snake | Takes eggs and small chicks | Hardware cloth with 1.2 cm mesh or smaller |
What You Need
- Hardware cloth (welded wire mesh) in the mesh sizes above
- Fencing and posts to bury or bend into an outward apron
- Latches that animals cannot work — a bolt or carabiner, not a simple hook
- Netting or overhead cord for the run
- Metal containers with tight lids for feed
Method: Close The Gaps
Step 1: List the local predators. Ask neighbours, look for tracks and droppings, and note what has taken birds before; see Predator Identification.
Step 2: Set the smallest gap that matters. If weasels or mink are present, no opening may exceed 2.5 cm. If snakes are, use 1.2 cm mesh or finer.
Step 3: Deal with digging. Bury the fence 30 cm, or bend the bottom outward in a flat apron on the ground so a digger meets wire before soil.
Step 4: Cover the top. Hawks and owls strike from above. Cover the run with mesh or netting, or string lines 30-45 cm apart across it.
Step 5: Handle the rat problem separately. Raising the coop 30-45 cm off the ground helps, but it is not enough by itself; see Rat Proofing, which reports that rats can jump about 45 cm and squeeze through gaps of about 12 mm. Add a mesh skirt, solid floor and metal feed bins.
Step 6: Close the door every night. The commonest failure is a door left open at dusk.
Worked Example
Mesh needed for a covered run 3 m long, 2 m wide and 1.8 m high, with a 30 cm buried skirt. Perimeter = 2 × (3 + 2) = 10 m. Side walls = 10 × 1.8 = 18 m². Buried skirt = 10 × 0.30 = 3 m². Roof = 3 × 2 = 6 m². Total = 18 + 3 + 6 = 27 m² of mesh. The skirt and roof together are 3 + 6 = 9 m², one third of the total (9 / 27 = 0.33), and they are the parts that stop diggers and hawks.
Common Mistakes
- Chicken wire in place of hardware cloth — thin, wide-mesh wire gives weasels and mink the gaps they need; use welded mesh.
- Elevation as the only rat defence — rats climb and jump; see the cross-reference above.
- A simple hook latch — raccoons and foxes can work some latches; use a bolt or carabiner.
- No roof on the run — hawks and owls take birds in daylight.
Safety
Cornered animals and rabies
A predator trapped in a coop may attack when cornered. Do not reach into a dark coop after a disturbance; open it from a distance and let the animal leave. A wild animal that approaches people without fear, or acts oddly in daylight, may be rabid; keep away and see Zoonotic Diseases.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Predator Protection — the farm-wide approach
- Combine with: Ventilation Without Drafts — vents are openings too, and must be meshed