# Chicken Pen Rebuild



## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

It’s been 3 years, its time. I was wiped out this summer by raccoons. In May I lost 9 hens and both roosters. I hatched out 13 peeps in June (different pen). In the last 2 weeks I lost 6 of my 7 remaining hens… 3 years of careful breeding… gone!

As you can see from pic 1, left edge… 3 years in a location with a long growing season, you can no longer even see the fence much less problems.

So Tuesday I started from scratch with both tractors, bush hogging and frontend loader, weed eater and pole saw! I started on the roost as well, It’s a 10x10 chainlink w\peaked roof covered with chicken wire.

I’m covering the bottom 3ft with 1/2 x1/2 hardware cloth and enclosed the gable ends in 1 inch chicken wire. I’m also going to sink the foundation/bottom poles 6 inches below ground level. I’m finally going with a metal roof also. In the past I used wallyw tarps, they lasted about 14 months.

I still have one pesky problem… the current rampaging raccoon… He first hit the pen when I was away for the weekend. My elderly dad didn’t know where all my traps were and used a #1 coil spring trap and made a bad set. Now Rocky is trap shy. 3 days ago he learned how to climb up and open a chain link fence door! Who ever heard of such a thing?

Last night I hung a live capture trap from a pole. The trap is wrapped in 1/4x1/4 hardware cloth. The bottom is covered and has a short piece of board on the inside. I added a garbage bag in case it rains. In the bottom of the trap I put 2 of my peeps that are clearly roosters, live bait. On the ground underneath I put perilla leaves, a very strong smelling mint. Some of you may guess what’s under the leaves. Tonight it’ll get a fresh coat of leaves.

Rocky didn’t come by last night. He was probably spooked by all the work I did around the pen but he will be back! I have to get this critter or he will take all the peeps when I move them to the main pen.

Rocky aside, the pen rebuild continues! Hopefully I’ll be done by the weekend.


----------



## bacpacker (Jul 15, 2011)

I had my chickens for 4 years. At one point had 15. I would lose one here and there and just assumed normal mortality, birds had no visable wounds. Last summer I caught a hawk eating one of my hens in their run. I put in a checker board pattern with some nylon bank line. never had any more issues with the hawk. Last fall I lost 3 and it was obvious something had gotten in the coop/run. I put a second round of hardware cloth around the bottom and started putting out live traps. I caught a possum, skunk, and two *****. Problem stopped for a while, but I was now down to 4 hens. This spring I lost another one and put the traps back out, got a **** first night. Next day lost 2 more birds. Night after that lost my last one. 
I decided at that point to back up and punt. I'm trying to figure out what I can use to put over the top of my run. It's 32'x64', with a 10'x12' coop in the middle of one 64' run. I am trying to find some lightweight plastic fencing that I can run across the 32' side and overlap it tie the laps together. I know I'll have to put in some post in the middle at least, but I'm trying to limit their number so I can still get in and mow during the summer, otherwise it'll be a jungle. Hopefully I can do all that this fall/winter and get started back up in the spring. I really miss having the birds around and the fresh eggs in particular.

Good luck with your rebuilding. I know that's a pain to deal with.


----------



## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

Thanks backpacker… yep, it is a pain but I can only kick myself. This was all my fault for not keeping up with things a little better. The pen is on a slight slope. The dirt in the pen slowly eroded over the last 3 years creating gaps at the bottom of the main fence. With vines and weeds growing up on the outside these gaps were hard to see, all my fault. 

I can keep critters out of my 10x10 coop with enough wire. For the main pen I have a dozen oak timbers that are slowly rotting anyway. I plan to line the inside of the fence at the bottom then poor gravel on the outside. 2 pickup loads should be enough. It should be good to go for another few years.


----------



## HardCider (Dec 13, 2013)

Sorry for your loss. We live next to hundreds of acres of salt marsh and wooded thickets. ***** are a constant threat and problem. I could trap around the pen but there seems to be an endless supply of them and if there was ever a true shtf event, I guess they would supply an easy source of fatty food for a very long time. We have a welded wire 5x10 kennel with welded wire panels clamped over the top making a totally dog and **** proof shelter. We also have solar electric poultry netting around the yard and a wooded stockade fence inside that. 

For a sure fire solution to a **** problem, a couple of the new DP **** traps baited with mini marshmellows and wiped down with shellfish oil are hard to beat. Plus it will not be a problem for your shepard. I have a real love hate relationship with *****. Had one for a pet for several years and his ability to figure things out never ceased to amaze me. He came and went as he pleased. He would leave for days and just as suddenly he would be back, hanging off the kitchen screen window, wanting to be let back in for dinner.

I have also lost my fair share of birds to ***** many years ago. Good luck with your improvements. You still have plenty of time to pick up some new birds once you get rid of Rocky


----------



## bacpacker (Jul 15, 2011)

Cotton, my issues were my fault as well. Just not enough time spent making things the way I needed to. Throw in a learning curve and I ended up with no birds.


----------



## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

This may not be a solution for everyone; however, it is a good solution for us.

We have a hen house that sits inside a coop that sits inside a pen. The location is under shade trees because of the Texas heat. The picture was taken before we put up the pen around the coop and did some other finish-outs. The pen extends out about 15' around the coop so there's plenty of room to wander if I don't want them free-ranging that day.

The pen: t-posts were driven through goat wire that was laid down to deter the diggers. 4' hardware cloth was used for the fencing. We chose 10' t-posts in case we needed to add a second level to the hardware cloth. Chain link was never considered because too many of the predators can climb up and over it.

The coop: a 16' X 20' metal carport that is fully enclosed with hardware cloth around the bottom and finished off with chicken wire to the top of the roof. We have hardware cloth or doubled-up chicken wire that goes about a foot below ground to deter diggers. PVC poles were used on the front and back to stabilize the hardware cloth. When the coop is closed at night it's virtually impenetrable.

The hen house: 6' X 6' X6' and is off the ground about 2'. It's all metal except for the PVC frame and only used for the chickens roosting at night and the nesting boxes. A poop tray filled with PDZ is under the roosts. Doors come off the back for access to the poop tray and roosts. Side doors give access to nesting boxes. The birds go up a ramp and through a 24" window that is their door to get into the hen house. You can see the same size window on this side of the hen house in the picture. I have the option of closing all doors and windows should there be a need for extra security or if it's really cold outside. During the summer I leave the doors off for additional ventilation, although the coop is well vented even if closed.

The only birds I've lost have been when they were outside the pen. I haven't lost any since I started letting them out of the pen a couple of hours after sunrise and called them into the coop about an hour before sunset. Of course, having the Guineas has helped protect the chickens. The Guineas have their own roost, complete with a poop tray, in one corner of the coop. So all the birds are securely locked in at night.


----------



## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

The rebuild continues… I finished the roost except for a new top, got the hardware cloth on and new wire on the gables.. Change of plans. I’ve a wallyw tarp still in the bag, it’s going over the roost. It’ll last more than a year, plenty of time to come up with framing and tin.

Some of the oak timbers were in rough shape. I’ve a large pile of old cinder blocks plus a large stack of new blocks, a couple hundred at least. I’m going to stack them on the inside of the perimeter fence and then pile gravel from the outside. (the cinder block pic is from a couple years ago when I had 40 hens)

I wish I could catch Rocky 2 but I guess I’m left with building the fort knox of chicken pens.


----------



## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

If you have a standard flip-lever on the chain link fence gate, you might want to put a carabiner or two, or something similar, in place to make sure Rocky can't flip open the gate. 

Are you putting a poop tray under the roosts? We use PDZ (from Tractor Supply) in our trays. It sure does make it easier on the housekeeping staff (that would be me). I got a big kitty litter scoop from PetsMart a few years ago and all I do is scoop the poop and toss it the bucket. I have never had an ammonia smell in the hen house with the PDZ.


----------



## oldasrocks (Jun 30, 2012)

Country Living, I'm jealous!

For an outside pen I took an old fiberglass dish 10 ft diameter and wrapped horse panels in a 10 ft circle with the dish for a roof. Then installed chicken wire on the inside. Cattle panels underneath and about 2 ft out to deter diggers. I used horse panels because we have some large ***** in the neighborhood that could claw threw chicken wire by itself.

We know of a lady who kept losing chickens inside chain link. They finally put up a camera and found out how. A big **** would rouse up the chickens and when they were running around he would grab one as they run by and ripped the poor thing out a piece at a time.


----------



## oldasrocks (Jun 30, 2012)

Cotton, I'm afraid Rocky will rip through the chicken wire you have on top. I've had ***** shred the stuff.

You might want to get some rebar and arch it across. Then put rolled horse fence over that.


----------



## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

There is a misconception about chicken wire. It's only good for keeping chickens in and doesn't do squat about keeping things out that really want to come in.


----------



## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

*Something we did*

We put tie-downs on both the coop and the hen house. It would take a very strong weather system to take them airborne; however, for us, it's just not worth the risk.


----------



## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

Got a lot done today… one side of the pen is a hay barn. To keep rain coming down the slope and underneath the barn I’ve a diversion ditch that goes through the pen (a pain). First thing this morning I cleaned out the ditch with the frontend loader. Pics 1&2

I got the tarp on the roost and sunk the roost frame into the red clay a few inches. Next came new roost poles. In the past they went trough the chain link, left to right. Seems there was always an egg laid in the back so I had to climb over the poles to get. So this time I rotated them 90 degrees and used block for support. This way there will never be a chicken roosting against the wire were a raccoon could reach it from the outside. Ants were terrible so the roost got a coat of diatomaceous earth as well.

I also got one side of the pen lined with cinder blocks. I’ve another 30ft to line on the opposite fence then I’ll bring in a load of gavel to pile against the outside of the perimeter.

Have to start cutting hay tomorrow so maybe I’ll be ready to move the chickens by Wednesday.


----------



## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

It looks like you put hardware cloth around the chain link..... good idea. Make sure you do the gate also.

I know you sunk the pen a few inches; however, did you lay something down, goat wire, etc., to deter the diggers or do you think the cinderblocks will do the job?

Where did you get all those cinder blocks? Run over a building with your front-end loader? :laugh:


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Cotton,

Is this pen for meat birds?


----------



## oldasrocks (Jun 30, 2012)

Country Living said:


> I
> I know you sunk the pen a few inches; however, did you lay something down, goat wire, etc., to deter the diggers or do you think the cinderblocks will do the job?
> 
> You need to but down wire right next to the pen. Animals will dig next to the pen. They would just start digging at the edge of the blocks. They not smart enough-YET- to start digging a tunnel from a few feet away.
> ...


----------



## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I know little about chickens and even less about the critters that attack them. My question is this. Has anyone tried intentionally leaving a weak spot in the fence? The idea would be to put something behind the weak spot, like a live trap. The critter would be pleased as punch with himself for finding a way in, for about three seconds. I'm guessing that if you can rid the area of predators the ladies will be less stressed than with nightly visits from their admirers.


----------



## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

Grimm said:


> Cotton,
> 
> Is this pen for meat birds?


No I have layers. I have a separate little shed with nest boxes.

No, I didn't put wire underneath. I move the roost around in the pen occasionally. Also, that area had cattle walking on it for 70 years. Beneath the topsoil is hard packed red clay, extremely tough.

Country Living...  Nope not a building&#8230; Apr 3,1974 a tornado made a direct hit on the farm. We salvaged every thing we could. Dad and I built the new house. Since my grandparents lived with us the down stairs has a 3 bedroom 1 bath, the upstairs is a 3 bedroom 2 bath. We over purchased on some block and brick. We've been using them ever since for various projects.


----------



## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

I got the peeps in their new roost late this afternoon. They are 53 days old. The roost is secure, the main pen is secure enough to let them out during the day but not finished yet. I have to bring in a load of gravel then I’ll be done.

8 of them are Rhode Island Reds but I think there was a problem with some of the eggs my neighbor gave me to hatch out. Some of the peeps are starting to look like their father was a sea gull! lol


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

May be an easter egger? I was told I got Barnavelders and Welsummers for a local breeder but ended up with easter egger and some sex links. They may not be the breeds I wanted but they are great layers!

The white one looks like my Columbian Wyandotte.


----------



## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

Grimm said:


> May be an easter egger? I was told I got Barnavelders and Welsummers for a local breeder but ended up with easter egger and some sex links. They may not be the breeds I wanted but they are great layers!
> 
> The white one looks like my Columbian Wyandotte.


Thanks Grimm... After checking some photo's I think my 5 whitish peeps have Wyandotte in them. 2 even have the weird comb.

I just hope I get 6 or 7 layers out of this bunch.


----------



## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Grimm said:


> May be an easter egger? I was told I got Barnavelders and Welsummers for a local breeder but ended up with easter egger and some sex links. They may not be the breeds I wanted but they are great layers!
> 
> The white one looks like my Columbian Wyandotte.


You're just making those names up and laughing at us that don't know any better. Admit it.


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Caribou said:


> You're just making those names up and laughing at us that don't know any better. Admit it.


Nope. I'm not. I wish I were...

http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Day-Old-Baby-Chicks/Easter-Egger-p246.aspx

http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Day-Old-Baby-Chicks/Columbian-Wyandotte-p575.aspx

http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Day-Old-Baby-Chicks/Double-Laced-Barnevelder-p734.aspx

http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Day-Old-Baby-Chicks/Welsummer-p249.aspx


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Caribou said:


> You're just making those names up and laughing at us that don't know any better. Admit it.


Did I mention Salmon Faverolles?

http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Day-Old-Baby-Chicks/Salmon-Faverolles-p241.aspx


----------



## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

Went down this morning and turned the peeps out of the roost into the main pen. They promptly lost their minds. Yesterday they were in a 48sq ft pen and now have about 1500sq ft. They didn’t stop running for an hour, had to investigate everything, over an over. It was funny watching them.


----------

