A chicken keeper asks how to stop raccoons, stray dogs, and hawks from killing birds. Use 1-inch wire mesh on the coop bottom, close the door at night, get a guard goose, or install an electric net. A scarecrow works 98.8% of the time while you wait for the goose.
I'm curious as to what I should do about predators. Noticed some signs around our coop of raccoons, and in the past we've had problems with, uh, stray dogs and hawks. What are some best practices for keeping predators at bay?
No problem, Graham, we can fix this. First of all, with your coop there, make sure there's no more than 1-inch openings anywhere in the top towards the roof, on the side, even down below. I mean, the biggest opening we have is the 1-inch wire mesh in the bottom. For immediate protection at night, put the door up. In the morning, let them down. I mean, just closing them in at night is going to solve most of your predator issues right there. A little longer-term play, get you a guard goose. They'll protect from land predators and especially aerial predators. Another longer-term play, maybe even easier than getting a goose, get you an electric poultry net. I noticed you had some things around you may not need to put a poultry net against that, but you could start a poultry net at it. If you had your building here, that will serve to protect, but you could start your poultry net there and go around. It doesn't have to be inside those chickens per se. It could be around the perimeter of whatever else is going out there. While you're waiting on a guard goose, it looks like your chickens are in one spot. Get a toot man. He goes wild. He's the new scarecrow. Hope that helps. Well, it will help 98.8% of the time. Do beware of goose attacks. Don't panic. And for the chiddlers and others, bring a pegboard in.
If I had to start my Homestead all over again, it could only pick one animal… 
