5 Things That Keep Predators Out of the Coop
Everything eats chicken. The night the raccoon finds the coop is the wrong night to learn which corner was weak - these five close the gaps first.
Hardware cloth, never chicken wire
Chicken wire keeps chickens in, not predators out
The pick
Hardware Cloth, 1/2-Inch
$21.29 on Amazon
The name fools everyone once: chicken wire tears like paper under a determined dog and a raccoon reaches straight through the hexagons. Half-inch hardware cloth is the material every opening actually needs - vents, windows, and an apron skirting outward at the base so diggers hit steel a foot before the wall.
Screw it down with washers; staples alone pull out under one good pull.
See it on AmazonAn automatic coop door
The one chore that cannot be forgotten
The pick
Solar Auto Coop Door with Timer
$59.99 on Amazon
Every predator loss story starts 'we forgot to close the door one time.' A solar auto door closes at dusk after the birds file in and opens at dawn, every day, including the anniversary dinner and the stomach flu. It is the difference between a secure coop and a secure coop with an asterisk.
Watch it work for a few dusks - a hen caught out overnight is the failure mode.
See it on AmazonRed predator-eye lights
Cheap paranoia, surprisingly effective
The pick
Solar Predator Deterrent Lights
$27.98 on Amazon
A pair of red LEDs blinking at eye height reads as another predator's stare, and foxes, coons and owls route around it - not forever, but the months of hesitation cost four dollars a corner. Solar, so they charge themselves and blink all night at the treeline for years.
Move them monthly; a light that never moves gets diagnosed as furniture.
See it on AmazonCarabiners on every latch
Raccoons open what toddlers can
The pick
Spring Carabiners, 10-Pack
$6.49 on Amazon
A raccoon's hands undo hook-and-eyes, slide bolts and lift latches - the standard is anything a three-year-old can't open. A spring carabiner through every latch loop converts each door to two-step security for pocket change. The cheapest line item on this page buys the most sleep.
Check the POP door and the nest-box lid too, not just the person door.
See it on AmazonA trail camera on the run
Know your enemy by name
The pick
Solar Trail Camera, Night Vision
$56.99 on Amazon
Something dug at the wire Tuesday night - dog, fox, coon, possum? The counter-move is different for each. A trail cam on the run answers it by morning, catches the gap you cannot see, and settles for certain whether the neighbour's sweet dog is sweet at 2am. Also: baby possum photos.
Aim it along the fence line, not at the coop - the approach is the intel.
See it on AmazonAs an Amazon Associate, Story Thyme Farms earns from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. It never changes what we recommend. Prices checked 2026-08-22 and will drift.