![]() Two, I'm not convinced that the birds on the roost will necessarily stay on the roost in the presence of a predator. ![]() Now (about 6 weeks of age), curiously, of the birds that voluntarily roost, probably 90% are Barred Rocks (this batch consists of Barred Rocks, White Rocks, New Hampshires, and Speckled Sussex). We set them up by hand at dusk the first two nights, but most of them jumped back down. So far this works better in theory than in practice. We've also added a roosting structure to each shelter to get the birds off the ground. This gives us better security down low at bird level. Around the inside perimeter we have attached a layer of 1圆 lumber (actually more like 1/4 to 1/2" thick, cast-offs from a local mill), above that about 8" of 1/2" mesh hardware cloth, and above that the 1" chicken wire. When we first started I was concerned that we might have issues, but now I count one break-in in 20 months of active use as a fluke that is unlikely to occur again. I count that as my fault, as it never happened before and hasn't happened since. ![]() It broke through a spot where two pieces of chicken wire were joined entirely insufficiently. We never have a break-in until last summer, when something-apparently moderately large-got into a shelter with some turkeys. I don't know for certain, but I suspect there may be/has been a four-legged critter involved in this as well. I know we had at least one great horned owl who would reach in, either under the lumber or through the 1" chicken wire and kill the bird, but not pull it through. Always the birds were found dead inside in the mornings. First two years were pretty smooth sailing, a few birds killed at night but nothing dramatic. We are in our fourth year raising pastured poultry in roughly-Salatin-style tractors.
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