# Keeping kids out of the chicken coop...?



## Kadjain (Jul 4, 2011)

As if it's not hard enough to keep the adult Nigerian goats out of the coop, now I have dwarf kids. A couple days ago they realized they can get a meal in there. I was anticipating this happening and thought I knew how to fix the problem until I realized my solution for keeping the kids out would also keep the ducks out. I was going to cut chicken doors a couple of feet up and make perches they would have to fly up on to get in. Then I realized most of my ducks are horrible flyers and might not figure it out. 
Now I'm thinking of fixing a small piece of 2x4 wire fence around the feeders so the chickens head can still get in but the kids heads will be too big to fit.
I know plenty of people have to deal with this problem. Anyone had genius ideas of how to save their chicken feed from the kids? 
Anyone with duck experience know if the ducks would figure out how to get in if I cut the doors a couple feet up? I have a Musc. that would do it no problem, I'm worried about the Khaki's, 300 and Runner.


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## SandStoneStable Farm (Dec 8, 2010)

If you search, there's a couple of posts on the topic. THis one I found quickly:
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=21601&hilit=chicken+feeder
there are others...
Good luck, it can be a pain! One of my kids got pretty sick this past year sneaking her fat little body into the coop!!!


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## Goat Song (May 4, 2011)

:doh: Oh I hate it when my goats get into the coop! I can't think of what I usually do to keep the kids out though... :scratch:


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

We do pretty well as a rule. A couple nights ago though, my husband did not hook the second latch. (Everything around here has double locks.) When I went out the 3 rather large kids had escaped into nomansland through the chicken coop; stopping to snack in the rabbit feeder on their way out through the chicken door which is only about one square foot. So, good luck.


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## Kadjain (Jul 4, 2011)

I've made all my chicken doors 6x6 in order to keep a year old dwarf wether from squeezing through what use to be 8x8 chicken doors. I couldn't believe it when I saw his fat little belly slip right through there.

I'll update later and let you know how the 2x4 wire fence works.


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## Kadjain (Jul 4, 2011)

The 2x4 fence solved the problem. It looks ugly now but I was just trying to get it done before dark. I'll probably try to make them look better sometime
























The kids came running in right after I put the feeders back in the coop. They were bummed and looked like they were thinking "what the heck, it wasn't like this earlier".


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Great idea.... :thumb: :greengrin:


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## Kadjain (Jul 4, 2011)

Big mistake using the type of wire fence I used. The spot where the wire is connected has a sharp point that cut someone and cause blood to spread over the feeder...oops.
















Also on the smaller feeder they could move the fence over and get some of the feed.








So I change the type of wire fence piece I used and drilled holes and fed the wire through to lock it down.
























FINISHED!

















Last edited by Kadjain (Today 10:27 pm)


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## Plumbago (Jan 21, 2008)

For the sake of the goat's health I have made the chook pen totally inaccessable to the goats. 
We have totally fenced around the chook pen and access is through secure gates. 
The chook pen opens up into a small open run, only the chooks can access the area, and the chooks are able to squeeze through the ringlock fencing of the goats paddocks and free range during the daylight hours in the paddocks. 
Added bonus the chooks cleaning the paddocks of creepy crawlies and bugs and parasites.
Works great. Was expensive all the fencing material and gates but certainly worth it for piece of mind and no escape artists - the two legged and the four legged kind.


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## Steph (May 7, 2009)

We used a cattle combo panel turned upside down to keep the goats out of our coop. The chickens can still go through but the goats can't. I haven't put any small kids into the pasture. I think they would be able to get into the coop. I have Nigerians so they are pretty small.


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## Kadjain (Jul 4, 2011)

A little video that kinda shows it works


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