Instructions
Build a fence around your coop and chicken run. A fence is your first line of defense against most predators. Chicken wire is a good choice, but any wire fence through which predators cannot fit will work. The fence will need to be around six feet high to keep particularly crafty predators out.
Place a secondary fence around your first fence, leaving a few feet in between. This helps thwart animals that reach through fences or find ways to maneuver around them.
Add motion activated lights to your chicken coop to protect your chickens from nocturnal predators. These lights will also alert you to the presence of unwanted animals near the coop.
Place chicken wire along the top of your coop and surrounding fences if you live in an area with airborne predators The Red-Tailed Hawk, for instance, is notorious for scooping up chickens from exposed runs and coops.
Check your coop for design flaws or maintenance problems. Your coop should have no point of ingress once sealed and should be free of rotting wood that a predator could peel away to gain access. If you coop has a window, ensure it is protected with chicken wire or glass. Imagine you are a predator trying to get in -- if you spot an entry point, seal or repair it immediately.
Place an electric fence line around the base of the coop and activate it once the chickens have been put away. Many predators sniff the ground while looking for food and an electric line can send them packing in a hurry.
Add a guard dog to your outside run. Guard dogs can be very effective at keeping prey away but also pose a potential threat to chickens if they decide to become predators themselves.
How to Guard a Chicken Coop
Keeping your chickens safe is just one way to protect your investment and ensure you meet production goals. Chickens and their eggs have a number of natural predators including foxes, raccoons, and even your family dog. Guarding your chicken coop takes a combination of preventative safety measures and frequent check-ups.