Okay, with the able assistance of my brother-in-law, Jerry Livermore, I finally got my coop built. The mesh it came with was way too flimsy to keep our local raccoons and coyotes out, so I switched over to ½” square galvanized rabbit wire. To further thwart predators and rats, I wrapped the rabbit wire all the way around, including the floor, and sewed the seams with 18-gauge steel wire. I also modified the door to reduce the size of the gaps. This should reduce the ability of rats to enter the enclosure and eat the chicken feed. (The little bastards had a field day while the girls were in the garage.) To further rat proof the coop, I gathered up all the various old bricks I had lying around and put them in the coop as a floor. And, yes, Bonnie and Clyde were my building inspectors
