The BEST Ways to Protect your Chickens from Predators

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Whether you are new to raising chickens or a seasoned pro, keeping your chickens safe is always at the forefront of your mind. Everyone worries about what could happen when they look away and it can be terrifying!

I went down the rabbit hole of chicken protecting when I first got our chicks to find the best ways to keep our babies as safe as possible. We live out in the country and are known to have many, many, MANY predators that like to stake out around our home. Here is how I went about keeping my chickens safe from the start!

1.DON'T USE CHICKEN WIRE FOR YOUR COOP OR RUN!!!

This has got to be the best advice I found on the internet. If you are worried about predators getting into your coop, chicken wire should not be your first choice. It is flimsy, thin, and can have holes large enough for predators to cause serious harm to your flock.

Instead of chicken wire we used 1/4" galvanized Hardware Cloth to attach to our run. It is much more sturdy, has smaller holes to protect anything from getting in or out, and is a fantastic option for keeping chickens safe. We got a massive roll off of Amazon (linked here:) because it was cheapest and had great reviews. We even attached the hardware cloth to our coop windows! My husband attached them with heavy duty staples from our hardware store and it has held up perfectly.

2.PROTECT UNDER AND AROUND THE COOP AND RUN

In our location our biggest pests are raccoons, opposums, foxes, hawks, an occasional coyote and snakes. A lot of predators are diggers, so it's always a good idea to plan ahead. We had leftover hardware cloth and decided to use it to add another layer of protections under and around our coop.

We dug down below our run a few inches to extend our hardware cloth underground to stop diggers from entering, as well as staked down a strip of hardware cloth around the perimeter of our coop and run. We covered the fencing with heavy duty landscaping plastic and wood mulch to make it difficult for them to get to our chickens. It added an adorable landscaping vibe, but it really was there to deter anything from getting into our coop (and so far it has been a lifesaver...literally)

3. MOTION SENSORED LIGHTS

Our coops is set up next to our garage for a few reasons, but one of the most important reasons is that it is within a few feet of our garage's motion censored light! If predators try to attack at night, they will be blinded by a huge spotlight that scares them off. If your coop isn't next to an existing motion censored light, you can easily find cheap ones to attach to your coop for an added layer of protection like this one here:

4. ROOSTERS

While not everyone likes the idea of having a rooster in their flock, I would argue to their natural ability to protect. Roosters have an instinct to be more aggressive which may seem less than ideal... but on the other hand, could really come in handy in keeping your flock safe from any unwanted guests.

5. ANIMAL TRAPS

We have had to utilize live traps, as well as other traps to mitigate our predator problem from time to time. We live in an area full of raccoons and opossums that will walk right up to our front door and aren't scared of me or my children. When we notice that they are ruining our garden or are leaving prints close to our home or coop we will put out a few traps to try and remove them. We have great success as my husband has experience with baiting and trapping these pests!

6. BUG TRAPS

Unfortunately, this was not a problem predator I was expecting to encounter during my first year with chickens... and it proved to be deadly. I lost four chicks in 2 hours due to them suffocating from... GNATS. Yep. Gnats.

We had an AWFUL bug problem due to heavy rains and heat creating a breeding ground for nasty little bugs that were almost unbearable. I know that chickens love to eat bugs and mine did too... but my chicks could not keep up with the swarms and got bugs stuck in their little nostrils suffocating them to death.

Since then, I have found these amazing nontoxic bug traps that I have kept around my coop to try and minimize our bug problem. This does not get rid of them by any means, but it is able to leave just enough for the chickens to enjoy plenty of bugs without it overwhelming them.

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OTHER PREDATOR PROOFING OPTIONS

Here are some additional predator proofing options that I have not used yet.

7. Cameras

Being able to check on your chickens whenever you want from the convenience of your cell phone can be a very useful tool in keeping your chickens safe. Some may see this as overkill, but if you see value in it I say go for it!

8. Other Animals

Dogs, sheep, cows, llamas, and others can act as natural security against predators as well! Conversely these animals could also cause problems for your chickens if they don't get along.

Hopefully this little post helps you take steps to predator proofing your space for your chicken friends! I would love to hear if you have tried anything else that works too!