1st brooder built (Almost)

[pauleberly]

I was planning on digging a foot down and putting chicken wire at a 45 degree angle away from coop. I was then going to place rocks all around the coop

So I was going to use pdz for the coop flooring, and will grass work for the run? How do you clean the grass, or is that not needed?

I was. Going to mix sand and DE for a dust bath for them

 

[chant]

I was planning on digging a foot down and putting chicken wire at a 45 degree angle away from coop. I was then going to place rocks all around the coop Sounds like a good idea!

So I was going to use pdz for the coop flooring, I can't speak to pdz as we've never used it. Pine shavings from TSC and our natural sand are pretty much what's used around here.
and will grass work for the run? Grass works great, but they're going to eat it down to the dirt anyway unless you have a lot of space - i.e. more grass than they can eat while having time to grow.
How do you clean the grass, or is that not needed? I don't think it's really needed as it will dry up and/or beetles will come and get it like they do the dog's poop, and rain will help wash it away. When I let my ladies into the backyard (because they've eaten all the dormant grass in their run, which is bald atm) I go around my backyard in a grid pattern with a hose and blast the poop apart into the soil - that's how I clean it - so the dogs won't eat it - which could be fine IDK, but it grosses me out and I don't want them bringing it into the house on their pads or between their toes or rolling in it.

Boys will be boys as they say. They dig it. I do not! Mom rules.

 

[aart]

I was planning on digging a foot down and putting chicken wire at a 45 degree angle away from coop. I was then going to place rocks all around the coop

So I was going to use pdz for the coop flooring, and will grass work for the run? How do you clean the grass, or is that not needed?

I was. Going to mix sand and DE for a dust bath for them

No need to dig at all, search on 'apron'.....18-24" out from coop/run right on top of ground, or buried just a few inches for mower clearance

 

[chant]

You might find this helpful as well in regards to your flooring considerations: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/70/deep-litter-method

 

[MeepBeep]

I was planning on digging a foot down and putting chicken wire at a 45 degree angle away from coop. I was then going to place rocks all around the coop

Chicken wire is designed to keep chickens in, it's not designed to keep predators out, and it won't...

A stray dog, bobcat, coyote, raccoon or other larger predator can shred chicken wire within minutes...

You really need 1/2" or 1/4" hardware cloth if you want to offer some degree of predator protection in the run...

I also doubt you will be able to get grass to grow under that deck, and if you do the chickens are bound to destroy it faster then it will be able to recover... You should consider other options, like sand, deep litter, straw, wood chips, or something similar...

 

[pauleberly]

Chicken wire is designed to keep chickens in, it's not designed to keep predators out, and it won't...

A stray dog, bobcat, coyote, raccoon or other larger predator can shred chicken wire within minutes...

You really need 1/2" or 1/4" hardware cloth if you want to offer some degree of predator protection in the run...

I also doubt you will be able to get grass to grow under that deck, and if you do the chickens are bound to destroy it faster then it will be able to recover... You should consider other options, like sand, deep litter, straw, wood chips, or something similar...

Out of those choices, what is the least amount of maintenance? And I'll grab some hardware cloth then, thanks for that information. Also I'm assuming that normal staples won't hold in hardware cloth, I'll need something better?

 

[MeepBeep]

Out of those choices, what is the least amount of maintenance? And I'll grab some hardware cloth then, thanks for that information. Also I'm assuming that normal staples won't hold in hardware cloth, I'll need something better?

I use deep litter in my coop, little to no maintenance once it's up and running, I don't have a 'run' my birds get to roam a pasture when they are out so I won't comment on run ground cover...

No staples are not going to cut it, screws and fender washers, metal rails and screws, wood slats and screws or some other much more secure method that generally means using screws...

 

[Gridguru]

No staples are not going to cut it, screws and fender washers, metal rails and screws, wood slats and screws or some other much more secure method that generally means using screws...

It depends on the staples really.

I used 1-1/4" x 3/8" staples and a pneumatic stapler. I can't push those out myself and honestly, I can barely get them out with tools. They will be very predator proof.
Screen replacement will be a bear for me though, so screws are probably the better long-term answer.

But you are correct in that regular 1/4" x 1/2" staples will come right out.

 

[MeepBeep]

No staples are not going to cut it, screws and fender washers, metal rails and screws, wood slats and screws or some other much more secure method that generally means using screws...

It depends on the staples really.

I used 1-1/4" x 3/8" staples and a pneumatic stapler. I can't push those out myself and honestly, I can barely get them out with tools. They will be very predator proof.
Screen replacement will be a bear for me though, so screws are probably the better long-term answer. 

But you are correct in that regular 1/4" x 1/2" staples will come right out. 

I would not chance staples against a dog or other predator pulling the fence, wood expands and contracts and staples loosen in time much faster then screws... I have seen barbed fence staples back out after a few years, wouldn't take much to pull them out at that point...

 

[pauleberly]

Thanks for all the information!! One thing I'm worried about
Deep litter method has to be dry? Where the run is It will be able to be rained on since it's under my deck. Now knowing that, what is my best solution?