arizona_chicken_noob
Songster
For about 2 years I had good fortune with 2x4 wire fence being the sole barrier on my outdoor run space. This is a wooden structure approximately 4x8 covered with 2"x4" wire fencing and there have been no mishaps/attempted breaches to this point. Indoor coop is adjacent and always available.
Came out this morning to what I might best describe as a meat brick in the run. It was a chicken body missing everything but 1 leg, and a large feather pile. This was my absolute most skittish bird that doesn't even let ME touch it, so a surprise there, and I assume the predator was a coyote. We have raccoons in the neighborhood (I live in the city) but I don't know if they are strong enough to bend the fencing like this.
I will be adding hardware cloth to this run, and hopefully someone can learn from my mistakes (or at least see what can happen on 1 bad day).
I always knew it would be possible for a bird to be attacked through 2x4 but I didn't realize how much of a massacre could take place. Purple dot is where the body laid.
Came out this morning to what I might best describe as a meat brick in the run. It was a chicken body missing everything but 1 leg, and a large feather pile. This was my absolute most skittish bird that doesn't even let ME touch it, so a surprise there, and I assume the predator was a coyote. We have raccoons in the neighborhood (I live in the city) but I don't know if they are strong enough to bend the fencing like this.
I will be adding hardware cloth to this run, and hopefully someone can learn from my mistakes (or at least see what can happen on 1 bad day).
I always knew it would be possible for a bird to be attacked through 2x4 but I didn't realize how much of a massacre could take place. Purple dot is where the body laid.