Burrowing Predators

[Soujrnr]

Hello BYC Family,

My wife and I are pert near finishing up our coop. I have the 4x4 posts in for the run, and I have 1/4" x 1/4" hardware cloth to enclose it. In my area, there are raccoons, foxes, an occasional coyote, badgers, snakes, and Lord only knows what else. I have read that we could "discourage" burrowing predators by extending the hardware cloth below ground. Has anyone done that, and how far down would be suitable? We do have compacted clay for soil, so it's not easy at all to dig through, but when a free chicken dinner is at stake for a predator, they can be quite tenacious. Penny for your thoughts, guvna!

 

[bill3607]

Hello BYC Family,

My wife and I are pert near finishing up our coop. I have the 4x4 posts in for the run, and I have 1/4" x 1/4" hardware cloth to enclose it. In my area, there are raccoons, foxes, an occasional coyote, badgers, snakes, and Lord only knows what else. I have read that we could "discourage" burrowing predators by extending the hardware cloth below ground. Has anyone done that, and how far down would be suitable? We do have compacted clay for soil, so it's not easy at all to dig through, but when a free chicken dinner is at stake for a predator, they can be quite tenacious. Penny for your thoughts, guvna!

I continued my down about 1 foot into the ground. I have had a few things start digging, mostly dogs, and they all give up when they hit the wire.

If you want to go a step further then run you a hot wire off of a fence charger a few inches above grade.

 

[Matejka]

I didn't bury mine. I extended it out 18 inches then used yard stakes to "pin" it down. I also used large rocks on the extended part. Set some potted plants to "prettify" it and hold the apron down. Eventually grass grew thru it, down it can no longer be seen.

 

[fuzzi]

Hello BYC Family,

My wife and I are pert near finishing up our coop. I have the 4x4 posts in for the run, and I have 1/4" x 1/4" hardware cloth to enclose it. In my area, there are raccoons, foxes, an occasional coyote, badgers, snakes, and Lord only knows what else. I have read that we could "discourage" burrowing predators by extending the hardware cloth below ground. Has anyone done that, and how far down would be suitable? We do have compacted clay for soil, so it's not easy at all to dig through, but when a free chicken dinner is at stake for a predator, they can be quite tenacious. Penny for your thoughts, guvna!

I have read here that the 1/4" hardware cloth (HWC) is too weak, that to keep out predators 1/2" is necessary.

Our soil is damp, so I didn't bury the HWC. I made an 18" apron all the way around, held down with landscaping pins. The grass grows through it and helps hold it down.

I attached it with fender washers and long screws (this is the door area):

4" landscape pins worked well except this one area. I got 12" tent stakes, they're holding great:

 

[Soujrnr]

I have read here that the 1/4" hardware cloth (HWC) is too weak, that to keep out predators 1/2" is necessary.

Not sure I understand the logic in this. The holes are smaller in the 1/4". Is it because 1/4" is 23 AWG and 1/2" is 19 AWG (typically)?

 

[Shadrach]

Penny for your thoughts, guvna!

Well mate, it's like this see. Rats and weasels can slip through the smallest gaps seven eights of an inch so I'm led to believe.
Hardware cloth will slow them up, no doubt about that, but even that won't stop a determined one of the above if they know there's a chicken sarnie waiting.
Wot you need is eyes mate. Keep one side of yer fence clean and easy to inspect, an it's no good just casting a casual eye over it when you stumble back from the boozer; you got be sober and wiv yer bifocals on if yer a bit blind like.

 

[fuzzi]

Not sure I understand the logic in this. The holes are smaller in the 1/4". Is it because 1/4" is 23 AWG and 1/2" is 19 AWG (typically)?

The 1/4" is not as strong as 1/2".

I did a search for you, check out the information: https://www.backyardchickens.com/se...st&c[child_nodes]=1&c[nodes][0]=9&o=relevance