bottom of the run hardware cloth necessary?

[JeffOeuf]

I am going to voice what is an unpopular position here.

First, you said this is a "run", right? Not an overnight home, but an enclosure for daytime grazing, right? My thoughts are that a run that will not be used for nighttime protection doesn't need to be built to the same security standard as the coop. If you have solid walls with secure screens for nighttime, unless you're facing heavy pressure from dogs, I can't see why chicken wire wouldn't suffice in a daytime run.

Personally, I feel that most of the disasters we read about here are not failure of the chicken wire, but failure of the fastening system. I built my run with 2 x 4s with the wide face parallel with the wire. The wire is stapled to the 2 x 4, then a 1 x 4 sandwiches the wire on top and is nailed securely to the 2 x 4. Relying on staples alone is a bad idea.

 

[Jaxon4141]

I am building a run at the momment and I have not seen a raccoon around our place for the last ~year... We do have cats and live in the suburbs where everyone keeps they're dogs in they're yard and we have a fence. I would rather not pay for hardware cloth for the bottom 18" of the run.

What do you guys think?

Has anyone else only used chicken wire?

Would 2" wire be good enough? (I have alot of that)

If your fencing is 2"x2" welded wire fencing then it is a great material for run. Unless my chickens are smarter than most I"v found that they will never go near the perimeter of the fence when something strange is around. This is true if it a strange person, dog or fox, they don't stick the head out to investigate, they stay back and watch what this strange thing does. If it approaches the run mine head for the coop. I've used welded wire fencing for years and my folk used it when I was a kid. It's strong and holds up well. Raccoon are nocturnal hunters, the change of them bother your chickens during the day is small.

The 2"x"2 will word for an exterior guard as well. Pictured below is a 14" predator guard on my garden chicken tunnel.

If you have a permanent run or a mobile run you can attach the guards to the run with wire or hog rings and pin the outside edge down with "U" shaped pieces of wire. A foot or more is a very effective predator guard. You do not have to bury the wire, just let the vegetation grow up through and it will bury itself. Putting fencing under ground is a lot of work and add very little to the safety of the chickens.

 

[ONSTAD1]

Similar question form a fellow newbie. Planning on hardware cloth on bottom of shed. Wondering if I wrap bottom 36" of coop with hardware cloth and the upper sections with regular chicken wire
I'll be good for preds grabbing in/sneaking in...are they smarter than 36" of metal mesh? ; )

 

[okallthis4eggs]

I'll give you a honest answer but its probably not what you want to hear. Just because you don't see coons doesn't mean they are not around. Coons are nocturnal meaning they come out at night. Coons are deadly to chickens. Coons can and will chew thru chicken wire. My neighbor lost all of his chickens to a coon that chewed a hole thru the chicken wire. Coons can climb and they are smart. You might get lucky and not get a visit from a coon for a while but sooner or later your run will get tested by a coon. If he gets in he will try to kill all of them not just one or two. My neighbor had his behind chicken wire for about a month before they paid him a visit and killed all of his chickens. If you use wire thats too big they will reach thru the wire and grab them and eat whatever part they can pull thru the wire.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-else-from-the-bad-experience/40#post_9085042

 

[fricknfricassee]

I think it also really depends on where you live as to how "predator safe" you have to make your run. Your coop should be buttoned up tight each night
so your chicks are safe. During the early morning hours or even during the day when they are out in the run, that's when you need to know what
types of predators might be tempted to "test" your security. We are going with all hardware cloth for our run, but trying out several layers of old fashioned
chicken wire for the ground of the run. We will cover that with sand and I will post how this is working out for us. We are very rural on 13 acres in the
woods we share with raccoon, fox, bob cat, mountain lion, skunk, you name it. There are bears around from what I have been told, but haven't encountered
any in 26 years of living here. The chickens may change that record, though. The reason we are trying out the chicken wire on the floor of the run, is we have
a roll of 150' that we just had laying around. So far, we are into our coop for about 2 grand. Good thing we love our chickens!

 

[frostbite]

....So far, we are into our coop for about 2 grand. Good thing we love our chickens!....

You got that right!!! When eventually I have eggs, they will be the most expensive eggs I've ever gotten for myself!

But I do love my chickens. They're pretty darned cute. A nice coffee date, when the weather is nice, because they leave my coffee alone, but protect me from the mosquitoes!

 

[questions543]

2 grand! wow lucky I just got my budget raised to $200 by my parents

 

[andycowboy]

I have a piece of metal roofing covering the bottom 24" of my run, followed by 3' hardware cloth, and the remaining couple of feet is regular chicken wire. The coop is plywood 4' high, then plastic chicken wire. I also have a Night Guard Light on each end of the coop/run - am ordering 2 more for protection on all sides. Even though we reportedly have a racoon problem, with occasional foxes, I've seen absolutely no evidence of any digging or any other type of "testing" the coop/run. I firmly believe that one of the primary reasons is the addition of the Night Guard Lights, which I bought from McMurray Hatchery. But the price is the same pretty much wherever you get it, including directly from the manufacturer - $19.95.

So, in agreement with just about everyone here, do all you can do to protect the birds - I got the lights because I couldn't afford to have someone come out with a Ditch Witch or something and try to dig a ditch in the good ole Texas Hill Country rock, then bury hardware cloth, which, as you know, ain't cheap! So far, so good!

Good luck with your venture...it's certainly fun!

Have a great evening, and God bless!

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

i believe it depends on your set up...personally I would rather spend the money on a auto coop door and a secure coop than a run. I used chicken wire on about 500 sq feet, so it's just the broody/chick pen and more to keep chickens out of that area. The worst daytime predators are usually dogs and hawks, though I haven't had any animal tear through chickenwire yet since there's nothing in there at night....it can be torn apart easily. I have a tarp and netting that I got at a hardware store pretty cheap, for hawks, and a dog to keep other dogs away...actually four rather large dogs...but your situation may be different, just don't rely on it for safety.