What does predator proofing a chicken coop involve?
Predator proofing means closing off every way an animal can reach your hens: over the top, under the walls, through gaps and through the door at night. Most losses come from a small number of weak points, such as a run with no roof, chicken wire that a fox can tear, a door left on a simple latch, or soft ground along the base of the run.
Mile Four, which made the guide above, puts predator proofing among the first jobs when you set up a coop, because predators are likely to be a problem for as long as you keep chickens [1]. Its approach is useful because it starts with how each predator attacks, then matches a fix to it.
The four ways predators get into a coop
It helps to think about how an animal gets in rather than which animal it is. Mile Four groups 13 common predators into four types [1]:
- Climbers and jumpers go over fences and up walls: raccoons, coyotes, bobcats, foxes and house cats.
- Diggers tunnel under the walls of the run or coop: raccoons, coyotes, foxes, badgers, rats and other rodents, skunks and dogs.
- Sneakers squeeze through small gaps, loose panels and unlocked doors: raccoons, badgers, opossums, weasels and snakes.
- Dive bombers attack from the air: hawks, owls and other birds of prey.
Raccoons are the hardest to keep out because they fit three of the four groups. They climb, dig and work at latches and gaps, so a coop that stops raccoons will usually stop most other ground predators as well. Which animals matter most depends on where you live. In the UK the fox is the main threat, alongside rats, mink, stoats and birds of prey; in North America raccoons, coyotes, skunks and opossums add to the list.
How to predator proof a chicken coop in 8 steps
- Raise the coop. Stand it on stilts or cinder blocks so diggers cannot tunnel straight up into the house [1].
- Cover the windows and vents with hardware cloth. Ventilation openings are an easy way in for climbers and sneakers [1].
- Fix the run with screws and washers. Mesh held on with staples can be pulled loose; screws with large washers stop sneakers working a panel free [1].
- Bury a predator apron. Dig a trench around the run and lay mesh in it, so an animal digging at the fence line hits wire instead of soil [1].
- Make the coop floor solid. Concrete or a wired floor stops diggers coming up from below [1].
- Use a two-step lock. The coop door needs a latch that takes two movements to open [1]. Raccoons are known for opening door latches, and in a 1908 study they opened 11 of 13 complex locks in fewer than 10 tries [2].
- Roof the run with hardware cloth. A covered top keeps out climbers and birds of prey [1].
- Remove hiding places. Clear wood piles and rock piles near the coop, where sneakers such as weasels, snakes and rats can live unseen [1].
Three of the eight steps deal with diggers, which reflects how many predators come from below. If you can only do a few things, start with a locked coop at night, a roofed run and a buried apron.
Hardware cloth or chicken wire?
Use hardware cloth. Chicken wire is designed to keep chickens in, not to keep predators out. Mile Four recommends galvanised hardware cloth rather than chicken wire for the fencing and roof of the run, because chicken wire is flimsy and can be broken or crawled through [1]. Hardware cloth is a welded steel mesh with small square holes, so it resists teeth and claws and stops small animals and reaching paws. Small-gauge mesh matters most for the sneakers: weasels, stoats and young rats can pass through surprisingly small openings.
How to stop predators digging under a chicken run
A buried apron is the standard answer. Instead of burying the fence straight down, you lay a skirt of mesh flat on or just under the ground, running outwards from the base of the fence and fixed to it. An animal digging at the fence line hits wire instead of soil and in most cases gives up. You can also bury the mesh vertically in a trench, which the Mile Four guide suggests [1].
For kit coops, Mile Four suggests digging a shallow trench the size of the coop’s footprint so the coop sits into the ground, then making sure it cannot be lifted. It says this stops many predators, such as foxes and raccoons, from getting in [1]. A solid or wired floor inside the coop gives a second line of defence.
Night-time is when most attacks happen
Foxes, raccoons, owls and many other predators hunt at dusk and through the night, when hens roost and cannot escape. Shut the flock into the coop every evening and lock it. Chickens naturally head for the roost at dusk, so if yours refuse to go in, check for mites, overcrowding, a dirty coop or a bird being bullied at the perches. An automatic door on a timer or light sensor helps if you are not always home at dusk, as long as it closes firmly and cannot be pushed open.
Daytime protection and free ranging
Hawks and foxes do hunt in daylight, especially in spring when they are feeding young. Mile Four advises against letting chickens free range completely because of the risk from predators [1]. If you let them out, supervise, give them cover such as shrubs or a covered area to run under, and bring them back into the run before dusk. Keep feed in sealed containers and clear up spilt feed, as it draws rats, which in turn attract larger predators.
Dogs are one of the most common causes of losses, including family pets. Mile Four suggests keeping breeds with a strong hunting drive, such as greyhounds, terriers and huskies, away from chickens and introducing any dog slowly and with caution [1].
Questions about predator proofing a chicken coop
What can I put around my chicken coop to keep predators away?
Physical barriers work best: a buried mesh apron around the base, hardware cloth on the run walls and roof, and a two-step lock on the coop door [1]. Clearing wood and rock piles near the coop also removes places for rats, weasels and snakes to hide [1]. Lights, scent deterrents and decoys may help for a while, but predators get used to them.
How do you keep raccoons out of a chicken coop?
Raccoons climb, dig and open simple catches, so they need the full set of defences: hardware cloth over windows and the run, a two-step lock, a raised coop, a buried apron and a solid floor [1].
Is chicken wire strong enough to keep predators out?
No. It keeps chickens in but foxes, dogs and raccoons can tear or push through it. Galvanised hardware cloth is the recommended material for run walls and roofs [1].
How do you protect a chicken run from hawks?
Cover the run with a roof of hardware cloth or solid panels [1]. When birds free range, give them shrubs or a shelter to hide under and keep an eye on them.
How do you know what predator attacked your chickens?
Look at the time of day, what was taken and how the attacker got in. Birds missing with feathers scattered at dawn or dusk often point to a fox; holes dug at the fence line point to a digger; a door or latch interfered with points to a raccoon; small, neat entry holes and bites suggest weasels, stoats or rats. Then fix that route first.
Sources
- Mile Four, Backyard Chickens, the beginner’s guide (chapter 10, Chicken Predators), where the predator proofing graphic is published.
- Wikipedia, Raccoon, intelligence and behaviour.
- Mile Four, the creator of the infographic.
Last reviewed 2 November 2026
