Arizona Chickens

[EmmaDonovan]

What made you decide on 2 1/2 feet? We were thinking of only 1 foot. We don't have a ditch digger, we'll have to dig it out using hand tools.

I will never understand how the ground squirrels are able to burrow through that stuff!

 

[BlueBaby]

What made you decide on 2 1/2 feet? We were thinking of only 1 foot. We don't have a ditch digger, we'll have to dig it out using hand tools.

I will never understand how the ground squirrels are able to burrow through that stuff!

Only one foot isn't very deep, and many animals that dig also have burrow's underground. A large sized dog or coyote won't stop digging at only 1 foot neither.

I found this, so I guess that if ground squirrel's really wanted to get into mine they would.:

Their burrows are about 4 inches in diameter, although older burrow entrances can occasionally be quite a bit larger. The length of burrow systems usually ranges between 5 and 30 feet. Most burrow systems are within 2 to 3 feet of the surface of the ground, but they may occasionally be up to 6 feet or more in depth.

 

[EmmaDonovan]

Well I'm stupid, I read that wrong. Lemme try again!

We have to include a 1/4" hardware cloth floor for our coop (run) so nothing can burrow up into the coop. But we don't want the chickens to walk on the hardware cloth.

We were thinking about burying the hardware cloth about 1 foot beneath the surface. I don't know that we'll be able to dig any deeper than that with just hand tools.

Would one foot be deep enough to accommodate chicken needs, i.e. scratching and dust baths, do you think?

 

[BlueBaby]

Well I'm stupid, I read that wrong. Lemme try again!

We have to include a 1/4" hardware cloth floor for our coop (run) so nothing can burrow up into the coop. But we don't want the chickens to walk on the hardware cloth.

We were thinking about burying the hardware cloth about 1 foot beneath the surface. I don't know that we'll be able to dig any deeper than that with just hand tools.

Would one foot be deep enough to accommodate chicken needs, i.e. scratching and dust baths, do you think?

Maybe you could also throw in an old tire filled with sand and ash or whatever for their dust bath. If you are worried about running the hardware cloth under, maybe you could lay down some cement to keep the other animal's from digging in. (Kind of hard to dig through cement.)

 

[cavemanrich]

Would one foot be deep enough to accommodate chicken needs, i.e. scratching and dust baths, do you think?

If you were to dig 1 foot deep in area of coop.(128 sq ft coop) It would take a man and a boy to do it. ( you may have heard that term before)
You are talking of moving almost 5 cubic yards of soil.
Do the math here by multiplying by 5.
How Much Does Topsoil Weigh? According to Dirt Connections, a cubic yard of topsoil weighs about 1,080 pounds. However, debris and moisture can make it heavier. Grow Your Yard states that topsoil can weigh between 1,400 and 2,000 or more pounds.Mar 23, 2021

If you only did 6 inches, it is still over 2 yards of soil to remove, and place back.
Consider this option that Bluebaby mentioned.
Get 1" X 2" welded wire. Much cheaper than Hardware Cloth. Lay flat on ground, and apply a 1" plus layer of cement on top of welded wire.
If you are not very knowledgeable about cement, I suggest these bags of mortar mix.

You may be wondering why not use concrete mix???
Answer; Concrete mix has stones that can be up to size of Quarters. Much more effort to end with a smooth finish that would not scratch/injure chickens feet. Mortar mix is cement, lime, and sand. It is easy to create a smooth finish on a thin layer application. Your 1 inch thick cement layer is not strong enough to function as a driveway for your car,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, but plenty strong enough for you to walk on.

Another option to consider are these patio blocks.

Lay them out,,,,,,, and sweep in between cracks some sand to lock then in. place. Then water down,,, and apply some more sand. Apply on top whatever you wish. Hay,, straw,, pine shavings,, sand, or combinations of whatever you wish. You will not get anything digging into your coop/run with these in place.

Hoping this gives you some ideas on how to tackle the coop floor anti digging portion.

 

[crashbig]

Question for you all. We are looking at moving to the Dewey-Humboldt area in the next year or two depending on what the housing market does. We're currently down in Pima county. I know Yavapai and PV are pretty restrictive on the number of birds you can have, but I can't find any ordnances for Dewey-Humboldt. What's the word on the number of birds?

 

[springvalley123]

Question for you all. We are looking at moving to the Dewey-Humboldt area in the next year or two depending on what the housing market does. We're currently down in Pima county. I know Yavapai and PV are pretty restrictive on the number of birds you can have, but I can't find any ordnances for Dewey-Humboldt. What's the word on the number of birds?

Dewey-Humboldt is incorporated, so there should be ordinances. I'd call the city hall and ask them. If they follow yavapai county, it'd be 8 birds per lot (any size lot), or 8 birds per acre if you have that big a lot, but no roosters, and the bird structures are to be 15 ft from the lot line. Right now I've heard there is some talk of, for example, enforcing weed ordinances in Dewey-Humboldt. I live in Spring Valley, just about 15 miles from Dewey/downtown Humboldt.

One thing, Is a lot of the area on the other side of St Rte 69 is hauled water, including some of the subdivisions like white horse ranch. There is also some superfund area to look out for too, due to previous mining I believe.

 

[EmmaDonovan]

If you were to dig 1 foot deep in area of coop.(128 sq ft coop) It would take a man and a boy to do it. ( you may have heard that term before)
You are talking of moving almost 5 cubic yards of soil.
Do the math here by multiplying by 5.
How Much Does Topsoil Weigh? According to Dirt Connections, a cubic yard of topsoil weighs about 1,080 pounds. However, debris and moisture can make it heavier. Grow Your Yard states that topsoil can weigh between 1,400 and 2,000 or more pounds.Mar 23, 2021

Very good ideas, thanks! Unfortunately our desert doesn't have any topsoil. In fact, if we want to grow anything out here we have buy literally all the soil needed. Gardens are very expensive to get started!

By way of illustration, this is the backyard of a home where you live in Melrose Park, IL. And this is what our yards are like around here.

You're right in that moving any kind of earth takes a lot of effort. I was discussing this with my housemate this afternoon and now we're considering going the other way: elevating the bottom of the coop. Build up instead of digging down! Put 1/4" hardware cloth on the ground then add a foot of dirt over that, contained by a plywood basin of sorts. It would certainly be easier labor-wise than trying to dig down one foot.

We use 1/4" hardware cloth because we learned the hard way that that's the only thing that stops our ground squirrels and tiny desert pocket mice. It is costly but that's the reality of having plants and chickens where we live. We don't want to feed any critters who aren't giving us eggs in return! Also the more you feed rodents, the more they multiply, and that brings in their natural predators: snakes. Do. Not. Want.

Pretty much anything we add to the environment - vegetables, fruits, chickens, whatever - looks like a smörgåsbord to all the desert critters who compete for food in our harsh environment. We literally have to surround everything in 1/4" hardware cloth cages including garden pots and beds. It sucks. (Yes, I want to move!!)

 

[Geckolady]

Very good ideas, thanks! Unfortunately our desert doesn't have any topsoil. In fact, if we want to grow anything out here we have buy literally all the soil needed. Gardens are very expensive to get started!

By way of illustration, this is the backyard of a home where you live in Melrose Park, IL. And this is what our yards are like around here.

You're right in that moving any kind of earth takes a lot of effort. I was discussing this with my housemate this afternoon and now we're considering going the other way: elevating the bottom of the coop. Build up instead of digging down! Put 1/4" hardware cloth on the ground then add a foot of dirt over that, contained by a plywood basin of sorts. It would certainly be easier labor-wise than trying to dig down one foot.

We use 1/4" hardware cloth because we learned the hard way that that's the only thing that stops our ground squirrels and tiny desert pocket mice. It is costly but that's the reality of having plants and chickens where we live. We don't want to feed any critters who aren't giving us eggs in return! Also the more you feed rodents, the more they multiply, and that brings in their natural predators: snakes. Do. Not. Want.

Pretty much anything we add to the environment - vegetables, fruits, chickens, whatever - looks like a smörgåsbord to all the desert critters who compete for food in our harsh environment. We literally have to surround everything in 1/4" hardware cloth cages including garden pots and beds. It sucks. (Yes, I want to move!!)

Anything resembling food is not safe. I had two large pots on the porch with mint and Greek oregano last week. Something went up onto the porch and ate it all. Not sure there's enough left for it to grow back. And it wasn't chickens, because they are in coops/runs. Last year a squirrel went on the porch and chewed off every single zucchini vine at the roots and didn't even eat the zucchini. They were in pots because digging into the soil is super hard, and anything planted outside ends up as food for the wild critters, not people.

 

[springvalley123]

Anything resembling food is not safe. I had two large pots on the porch with mint and Greek oregano last week. Something went up onto the porch and ate it all. Not sure there's enough left for it to grow back. And it wasn't chickens, because they are in coops/runs. Last year a squirrel went on the porch and chewed off every single zucchini vine at the roots and didn't even eat the zucchini. They were in pots because digging into the soil is super hard, and anything planted outside ends up as food for the wild critters, not people.

Once I had a raised bed with 1/4 hardware cloth at the bottom and chicken wire around. unless you frame it, squirrels find a way in. Another time I had a garden and only 2 things sprouted. I later found a nest of mice, they must've eaten all the seeds. So far my patio has been safe, but I just have to face the chance that I can't keep critters fenced out without a lot of effort. I sometimes grow lettuce, carrots and parseley inside because it's so much effort to fence out these small critters.