Day 75
When researching the process of raising chickens, a great deal of the conversation revolved around the ideas of predators. Chickens are quite popular treats amongst fellow members of the animal kingdom. No matter how much work was put into creating the coop, the outdoor run, or any other habitat for your flock, it would all be for naught if you didn't focus a great deal of attention on making their home predator proof.
With the time, energy, and money we poured into the process so far, we didn't want to lose it all to hungry wildlife.
Little did we know that predator proofing the coop would be such an elaborate and expensive experience.
Replacing rotten wood to fortify the foundation was the easy part. We also embarked on a journey involving lots and lots of dirt removal, hardware cloth, gravel, and wood shavings.
All to protect ten feathered, fluffy butt nugget providers.
When thinking about the food chain of the chicken world, I always heard about needing to worry about foxes, coyotes, and hawks. That was only scratching the surface. In discussing with more experienced chicken wranglers, I was surprised to hear that the big three predators mentioned above were not as problematic as other more unsuspecting chicken enemies.
Raccoons use their human-like hands to enter coops in search of eggs and vulnerable birds.
Opossums have been known to behead chickens not for food, but apparently for fun.
Weasels use their slinky stature to squeeze into the tiniest spaces and decimate a flock.
Crows are smart enough to learn the patterns of how chickens exit and enter their indoor space, plotting the best time to attack.
Mice, while not a direct threat to the chicken, get themselves into chicken food and dirty it up with their urine and feces, causing illness and disease to spread quickly.
Plus, you have to protect chickens from each other. The pecking order is literally something one must observe and monitor for the flock’s safety.
Learning the importance of protecting chickens is one thing. Understanding potential adversaries and their coop crashing capabilities is another. Fortifying the coop to handle anything and everything nature can bring is an entirely different adventure.
