How to Build a Coyote-Proof Chicken Coop

 

If you want chickens in an area that is close to a wooded tract of land then, you need to keep them coyote-and other predator safe. Coyotes are part of our landscape especially near wooded tracts like parks or wooded tracts of land and they will take advantage of any easy meal. Free-roaming hens, unsecured coops, and flimsy fencing are open invitations.

When flocks are missing or only feathers are viewed, the blame often falls on the coyotes. But the real issue is poor preparation. Hunting coyotes doesn’t solve the problem it destabilizes populations and increases reproduction. The solution is responsible design: secure fencing, locked gates, and smart placement of the chicken coop.

A Proven Design: What Work

My niece lives just south of the city in a heavily wooded area by a park, where coyotes are frequent visitors. She used to let her chickens roam freely. No more. Now her flock is protected by a secure, well-designed enclosure that keeps coyotes out day and night.

Here’s how she built it:

• Fence height: 6-foot heavy-duty chain-link fencing surrounds the entire run.
• Trench and cement base: She dug a trench around the perimeter, buried the bottom foot of the fence, and poured concrete to prevent digging.
• Covered top: Chain-link fencing covers the top of the run, secured tightly to the side walls.
• Central coop: A sturdy wooden coop sits in the center, giving hens shelter and security.
• Locked gate: The entry gate has a padlock, and the ground beneath it is paved with concrete.
• Guardian dog: A Great Pyrenees watches over the yard, adding another layer of protection.

Her chickens are safe even in a neighborhood close to coyote territory.

 

Visual Guide: Coyote-Proof Coop Design

Click/open the card below to view the illustrated guide showing each element of a secure chicken coop from trench to top cover.

 

Step-by-Step: How to Build It

1. Choose the Location
Place your coop away from wooded tracts and overhanging trees. Coyotes prefer cover and quiet.

2. Dig a Trench
Dig a 12–18-inch trench around the perimeter of your run. This prevents coyotes from tunneling under.

3. Pour a Cement Base
Fill the trench with concrete and let it cure. This anchors the fence and blocks digging.

4. Set the Dimensions
Use 6-foot tall, heavy-gauge galvanized wire or chain-link fencing. Coyotes can climb lower fences.

5. Add a Secure Gate
Install a sturdy gate with strong hinges and a locking latch. Use concrete under the gate to block tunneling.

6. Secure the Top
Cover the top with wire fencing or chain-link and attach it tightly to the sides. Coyotes can climb if the top is open.

7. Lock Up at Night
Even with fencing, hens should be secured inside the coop at dusk.

8. Consider a Guardian Dog
Livestock guardian breeds like Great Pyrenees can deter coyotes and protect your flock.

 

Why Coyotes Target Chickens

Attractant	Risk
Free-roaming hens	Easy prey, especially at night
Open coops	No barrier to entry
Weak fencing	Coyotes can dig or climb
Outdoor pet food	Attracts rodents, which attract coyotes
Coop near wooded tract	Increases likelihood of encounters

 

Respect and Responsibility

Coyotes are not villains they’re opportunists. If food is easy to access, they’ll take it. If residents build secure coops, supervise pets, and remove attractants, coyotes will remain part of the ecosystem without becoming a threat.

Where I reside, the lesson is clear: if you want chickens, keep them coyote-safe. Don’t demand that coyotes be hunted because of poor preparation. Respect the land, respect the wildlife, and take responsibility for the animals you choose to raise.

Yard and Garden Snake Repellent Tips

 Not all snakes are poisonous but if you are not a snake expert then it’s a good idea to take steps to repel the snakes from your yard and garden.  Here are some solutions that I have tried and found all of them to be effective snake-repellent

Copperhead snake Public Domain 

 

My home resides directly next to a densely wooded area and this area has its share of copperheads, garden snakes, and other snakes.  All of these snakes assumed that my yard was their habitat. Since my home is too close to a wooded area I knew I needed to take steps to keep my yard snake free.

My side yard heavily wooded with dense brush

 

If you live close to a park or a wooded area then I recommend that you take steps to make your yard and gardens unappealing to snakes before March.  Snakes typically come out of brumation (Brumation is specific to reptiles and amphibians where they sleep deeply during the cold season) in March or April depending on the weather.  If your temperature is an average of 60 degrees then snakes will be out and about.  The snakes in my area are most active from May through October.  

The best way to repel snakes from your yard and garden is to make it unwelcoming and uncomfortable. 

The first thing that we did was clean up the clutter.   We removed the down trees that were in the side yard and moved the firewood, logs away from the house.  Stacked logs provide snakes a safe place to hide. 

Firewood provides hiding places for snakes 

 

The leaf debris in the side yard that was on the limestone rocks was blown off and the rocks then we bought pea gravel from Lowes and added this rock to this area.  Snakes don’t like crossing rock so the smaller rock created a barrier for us to keep the snakes in the woods and out of our yard.  

Another way to keep your yard snake-free is to clear all brush and avoid growing dense gardens like daylilies or irises grown in masses. A manicured garden with good airflow between plants rather than dense vegetation is a great way to eliminate places for snakes to hide.

 

My Iris garden with lilies growing behind. too dense needed to thin out 

Because snakes eat small animals like mice, lizards, and birds you would want to remove your bird feeders as they are attracting the snakes to your yard. 

The best way to keep snakes out of your yard is to install a fence that the snake cannot penetrate.  An aluminum or a metal mesh would be best.  They are strong enough to keep the snakes out of your yard. It's like chicken wire, but stronger with a small opening.   It's best to install the fence so that it's 30 inches above the soil line to prevent the snake from climbing over.  Higher than 30 inches would be better.  

You also want to dig a ditch in the soil to put the bottom of the fence into the ditch then add quick-drying cement to secure the bottom of the fence in the ditch.  By cementing the bottom of the fence, you will prevent the snake from getting into your yard from the soil line.  

Keep the snakes out of your yard with natural cedarwood, clove, and cinnamon bark or oil.  A few years ago, I had a snake in my garden and put down highly aromatic natural cedar mulch and the snakes left my yard and garden.   

Cedarwood has a strong smell that snakes dislike

 

Here is a snake repellent product that I found online at Amazon Exterminators Choice - Snake Defense Spray - Non-Toxic Repellent for Pest Control - Repels Most Common Type Snakes - Safe for Kids and Pets - Cinnamon Scented 

Plants that Stop Deer from Eating Tulips

I love tulips but so do the deer and since my home is locating in the woods I have deer in my yard daily. We have tried everything to keep the deer away from the tulips but they are determined to eat them because they are rich in nutrients and the liquid in the stem is hydrating.

Deer in the garden, note the lilrope grass is left alone

My husband thought it would be good to compromise with the deer so he filled a bucket of water for them and put out a mineral lick along with corn and sunflower seed mixture in our side yard where there are no tulips. The deer sure did like that but when they were done with their snack they came back into my backyard to look for tulips.

Hide tulips in daffodils 

Repel deer when you hide tulips amongst plants that deter. 

We thought about installing a deer fence around in the backyard because that would certainly stop the deer from coming into our yard but it would also block all animals from drinking from our pond. So we decided to hide the tulips from the deer by planting them in the middle of plants that deer do not like. 

Deer do not eat daffodils we also read that planting your tulips in the center of  lilrope grass is a good idea but would need a thick border of the grass to deter the deer. Other plants that deter deer are bee balm, peppermint, chives, cosmos, oleander, oregano, and rosemary 

A friend said that any low-growing ornamental grass will work as it provides good coverage for the tulips. So this fall I hid the tulips by planting the bulbs in my garden. I planted bulbs in the middle of the daffodil garden and in the ornamental grass garden. I will let you know next spring if the hiding of tulips really works.

Note if you are not a fan of wildlife in your yard then buy a scarecrow motion-activated pressure water animal deterrent. The sting from the water burst makes all wildlife leave your yard. Learn more by reading my article here

Scarecrow Motion Activated Sprinkler Product Review

Keeping garden pests; wildlife, stray dogs, and cats can be difficult especially if you do not have a fenced yard. Every year I plant a vegetable garden and find that the deer and raccoon walk on the plants or eat the young vegetation. In the past, I tried protecting the vegetables with a chicken wire fence but the raccoon climbed the fence and uprooted the plants. The only product that kept the pests away was a Scarecrow motion-activated sprinkler.

I decided to install the scarecrow motion-activated sprinkler because animals are fearful of water. The high-pressure water comes out of this sprinkler and animal is in the line of fire will get stung.  I have watched the pesky raccoon run from my yard. But that is not to say the animals will not continue to try to get the vegetables in the garden. The animals will keep trying and they will keep getting stung by the water. They never reach the garden. The scarecrow will also keep deer, skunk, squirrels, and other animals away from your garden.

This sprinkler works well. I will probably keep it activated throughout the summer. If you have a problem with garden pests or stray cats or dogs then I recommend that you buy a scarecrow. I bought mine at Walmart or you can shop for this pest repellent at Amazon. 

Keep Squirrels out of Bird Feeders (How To)

If you are a birder then you know that a squirrel at the feeder is not a good thing. They take over the feeder, spilling seed to the ground, and do not allow the songbirds access. Even when you buy the feeders with the screen to prevent the squirrel access to the seed, this nuisance rodent will take over the feeder by hanging off the side trying to access the seed.

I bought Backyard Boys woodwork feeder (shown in this photo) at Amazon.com

My brother has a problem with the squirrels taking over his bird feeders and he traps them and releases them across town where there is a wooded area. Know that this does not solve the problem even though trappings are done several times a day there are always squirrels at the feeders causing havoc.

Now I am no squirrel expert but knew that we would always have this pesky animal in our yard because we live in woods with many nut trees which is an attraction for squirrels. So instead of trapping the squirrels my husband and I decided to get the squirrel their own feeder.



We set up a ground feeder with food that is appealing to the squirrel; sunflower seeds, corn, and shelled peanuts. The feeder was set on the ground and 15 feet away from the bird feeders. Know that as long as this feeder is filled with delicious peanuts, cracked corn, and sunflower seeds then the squirrels could care less about the songbird seed in the feeders.

If you have not tried this wildlife food set up in your yard then know that I do recommend it. We noticed immediately that the squirrels are no longer territorial and chasing off the birds. There is less stress in our yard because we have happy squirrels that are taking turns at their feeder. Note the bluejays tend to hang out at the squirrel feeder, but there has been no wildlife drama.


In addition to the ground feeders, we have also set up a water source for the squirrels that are separate from the birds. This setup works well because if the squirrel had to use the bird's water fountain then they may get distracted and try to get access to the bird's food. So separate water fountains for squirrels are a must.

We bought a small tabletop fountain and set it up in for the squirrels.  Walmart.com had some nice fountains for wildlife.

It takes a few days for the wildlife to learn the routine.  But eventually, the squirrels will go to their feeder to eat the succulent peanuts and corn.  Watching the wildlife in your yard is a fun family activity, even your cats will watch from the window and find the animals entertaining.

When a Coyote Came Into Our Yard: What We Did About It

 

Living beside the woods has always been one of my favorite parts of our home. The wildlife, the quiet, the sense of being tucked into nature it’s all part of our daily rhythm. But years ago, long before my recent coyote article, we had an encounter that hit much closer to home. A coyote stepped out of the tree line and into our yard, and that moment changed how we approached living next to wild land. This is the story of what happened and the practical steps we took to keep our yard safe.

Our home is located directly next to 29 acres of woods, with a creek in the valley. That land connects to a state park, making it an ideal habitat for a variety of animals. We’ve always enjoyed watching the wildlife, but when a coyote came into our yard, it was too close for comfort. We knew we needed to act quickly, and this article explains exactly what we did to stop it from returning.

The First Visit

When coyotes come into your yard, the best immediate response is to scare them off. In general, coyotes are naturally fearful of humans. Most of the time, if you wave your arms and yell, they’ll run. But in the 15 years we’ve lived here, this was the first time a coyote had ever come this close. That told us something was attracting it, and we needed to figure out what.

What Was Drawing the Coyote In

Coyotes eat a wide variety of foods: small animals, insects, berries, and vegetables. I grow blueberries, Nanking cherries, and a full vegetable garden all outdoors and easily accessible.

After talking it over, my husband and I decided we needed a deterrent to keep the coyote from wandering into the yard again.

The Motion-Activated Sprinkler

We purchased a motion-activated water repellent the ScareCrow animal repellent by Contech. Installation was simple: stake it into the ground and attach it to the garden hose. It protects up to 1,200 square feet and is effective not only for coyotes but also stray dogs, deer, cats, raccoons, squirrels, and rabbits.

Here’s what happens when a coyote crosses the motion sensor:
The unit makes a sharp clicking noise and then releases a sudden burst of water. The noise startles the animal, and the water has enough force to create a quick sting. It’s harmless but unpleasant  exactly what you want in a deterrent.

The first time the coyote triggered it, it bolted. It tried a couple more times, testing the boundary, but each time the sprinkler fired, it backed off. Eventually, it stopped coming into the yard altogether.

Making the Yard Less Appealing

The next day, my husband and I walked the yard to look for anything else that might be attracting wildlife.

• Our dog’s food had spilled out of his bowl and was scattered on the ground. We fixed that by feeding him in the garage.
• We bought locking-lid trash cans from Lowe’s to keep animals out of the garbage.
• We cleared away thick, overgrown plants that created hiding spots. A manicured yard is far less comfortable for wildlife.

None of these changes were difficult, but together they made our yard much less appealing to curious animals.

A Note for City Residents

If you live in a city, your options may be different. In urban areas, I recommend contacting animal control and asking whether they can set a live trap to safely remove and relocate the coyote.

In our situation, trapping wasn’t realistic  there are many coyotes in the woods behind our home, and removing one wouldn’t solve the larger issue. Repellents and deterrents were the best approach for us.

Armadillos Dug Up Rose Garden

I learned about armadillos when a mother decided to bring her babies into my yard and dig up my lawn and rose gardens. They were foraging in grubs and other soil insects in my yard and gardens. 

Know that after the armadillos had a field day with my rose bushes my mind was made up and they were not welcomed into my yard.  

I didn't know how to get rid of them so I contacted animal control and they directed me to the wildlife conversations office. There they had me take a class on trapping armadillos and said they would assist me in relocating the armadillos after they were trapped.

What I learned is that they have bad eyesight and that I would need to herd them into the trap with boards. I was fearful of doing this because it was a mother and naturally she would want to protect her babies. 

To remedy my problem with the armadillo's husband said he would put up a fence so I could wave goodbye to the armadillos.  

If you have this lawn and garden pest in your yard, trapping is one way to get rid of them, but a fence is an easy way to keep them out. Know that my brother did trap armadillos in his yard, and he said that three of his buddies helped him.

If you want to get rid of the armadillo by trapping then buy a live animal trap to catch and release.  I found some reasonably priced traps at Walmart.com and Lowes.com or you can contact your city's animal control and they may have an animal trap that you can borrow.  

Here is a video that will show you how to set up a trap for an armadillo, using the boards.  Know that my brother and his buddies did herd the pest into the trapping area. He told me that the armadillo tends to go where it wants.  

Other pest control posts by Sgolis

Pest Control for Borers

Pest Control for Slugs

Pest Control for Stray Cats

Pest Control for Grass Hoppers

 Keep Deer out of Garden: Natural Deer Repellent

Getting Rid of Groundhogs: Permanent solutions but NOT harmful

Snake Removal, Get Rid of Snakes Safely

Protecting Spring Bulbs from White Tailed Deer

Pest Control: Raccoons

Pest Control: Growing Plants that Repel Mosquitoes

Pest Control: Mosquitoes

- See more at: http://yardandgardensecrets.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html#sthash.Z45t4ZEI.dpuf

Suburban Raccoon Visits Yard and Garden

For the last couple of days, I  have noticed that the mulch in my garden has been pulled away from the plants and in some cases, it is all pulled away from the plants and is in a large grouping like a mountain of mulch.  At first, I thought neighborhood kids were playing a joke on me, but I was wrong because tonight at dusk I learned that a suburban raccoon was visiting my garden.

Raccoons playing in the grass

My husband thought the little raccoon was cute because he seemed to be playing peek-a-boo behind the fountain grass in the ornamental grass garden.  But the thing about raccoons is they are very social animals and if there is one there will soon be more.   That is exactly what happened next, the kits came out of the hallowed tree and came to play in our patio fountain and our garden fish pond; washing their paws and putting leaves in the water.  Such cute behavior but not good for the pond filter.

Suburban Raccoon drinking from the garden fish pond

Raccoons are adorable but I do not want them to think my yard and garden are their hangout. That is when I knew that I had to set up raccoon boundaries so that they knew that playing in my garden was not acceptable behavior.

Yard and Garden Snake Removal

Removal of snakes from your yard can be a little tricky especially if they are poisonous.  The best way to remove the snake is to make your yard uncomfortable and change its habitat. 

 

My home is located in the woods and for years, my yard was snake heaven.  The snakes resided in our rock wall, and in the garden close to the pond.  Know that I do not mind nonvenomous snakes living in my yard, but the venomous snakes must be removed.

Snake in my garden

 If you have snakes in your yard you will need to determine what kind of snake calls your yard home.  Black, garter, and non-poisonous snakes are fine they control the rodents, but if there are venomous snakes then I would recommend that you remove snakes from your property.

The best way to get rid of snakes is to manicure your yard and remove their food and water source.  

Remove ground-level fountains: Image by Sgolis

Remove woodpile as it attracts snakes: Image by Sgolis

Clean up yard and garden. Remove all clutter; leaves, woodpile, excess rock, straw, and ground-level compost.   Mow your lawn so that the grass is short, cut back brush, and weed your gardens. If possible remove all ground-level water fountains as they will attract rodents. 

Treat the manicured lawn and garden with rodent pest control. By doing this you will remove the snake forage from your yard.  Make the snakes living area uncomfortable with mothballs. 

Mothballs are toxic to other animals but when it comes to snakes they will leave the area that is treated.  The best way to remove the snakes from a rock wall area is to dig a trench that is a foot deep next to your rock wall  (see photo below of the trench that I dug)  Drop a few mothballs into the hole and backfill with the soil. Snakes that live in the rock crevices all year round will leave the area to get away from the mothballs.

The trench along the wall for mothball snake control 

Another way to control snake populations naturally is to encourage feral and stray cats to hang out in your yard.  These cats will hunt and eat the snakes.  

If you are not a cat lover you can get rid of snakes from your yard by trapping them.  The humane snake trap is made of durable plastic however it is light in weight so if you intend on trapping outdoors it is best to set it up on a calm day.  The best way to achieve positive results from the traps to watch for snakes, note their location, and then set the trap close to where you have viewed the snake.  

The trap is baited with the scent of a rodent and the interior of the trap has a glue board.  When the snake enters the trapped chamber it loses mobility and is not able to exit the trap.  

If you have land that is overpopulated by venomous snakes, you can do a controlled burn.  Contact your local fire department to schedule a burn.

Warning:

Keep kids and pets away from mothballs

 Snake removal products that I recommend: 

Humane Snake Trap

Catchmaster Glue Boards

You can find these products at Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and Lowws.com

Get Rid of Roaches - Home and Garden

Head of cockroach: image by Wikipedia commons

Stop the roaches from entering your home  by sealing cracks around your doors and windows and landscaping so that your gardens and shrubs are away from your foundation. 



Everyone at some time or another in their lifetime experiences roaches. It does not matter how meticulous your home is roaches will invade your home or business. 

There are 3500 species of cockroaches in the world and eventually, this insect will move into your home or business and scatter across your kitchen counter tops in search of food or linger in your bathroom for water.  

If you allow the roaches to stay in your home for a short period of time they will settle in and multiply and before you know it your home or business will be infested.  

Last week I noticed a cockroach in my laundry room and knew if there was one there had to be at least 30 or more hiding out in my home.  Roaches like to hide from humans and they seldom come out during the daylight hours, therefore if you want to conduct an inspection of your home then you need to turn off all of the lights, take your flashlight and open up your cabinet doors under your sink and also look behind your refrigerator, stove and in the bathroom under the sink cabinet.  

Look for droppings as they are signs of cockroaches.  The droppings look like specks of black pepper and are primarily in areas where there is food or water.  Should you determine that you do have roaches then you will need to inspect the exterior of your home for cracks, holes in your foundation, siding and crevices, also check around your windows and doors to make sure they are sealed. 

Roaches will also enter your home through your drains in bathroom or kitchen and the air ducts.  Seal all entrances to your home and place a drain cover in sinks and bath tub.  Deter the roach from infesting your home by landscaping three to four feet from your home.  

Many roaches reside in a moist habitat such as humus dirt or mulch.  Install cement or rock barrier in between your landscape and your home and this will cut down on roaches from penetrating your home. 

Move landscape away from home

When you complete your outdoors tasks of sealing all  entrances you will survey your living space.  Check your home for cardboard storage boxes or shoe boxes.  Shoe boxes are usually in a dark closet and roaches think of the box as an ideal living area.  Remove shoes from boxes and place in an over the door hanger or in plastic under the bed storage unit. Also remove storage items from cardboard boxes and put in plastic storage containers with a locking lid.  After the cardboard material is removed from your home you will need to concentrate on your kitchen and bath area. 

Inspect under your sink and behind your appliances at night.  Use a flashlight to look for roaches and or droppings.  Remove roaches by killing them. Mix boric acid with granulated sugar and white flour. 

Use equal parts for all ingredients. 

Set the boric acid mixture in small open containers and set them behind the refrigerator, oven, and under the sink. The sweetness of the sugar will attract the cockroaches the flour is a binding ingredient that holds all ingredients together and the boric acid kills cockroaches, fleas, ants, ticks and other household pests.

Learn more about roach control:  Youtube video

 

 Cockroach head by Wikipedia commons