Burying hardware cloth and lots of tree roots?

[emanonii]

I'm in the planning phase of building my coop and run. I've read that the hardware cloth for the run should be buried 12" to prevent digging predators from getting in. My problem is that I have lots of trees with shallow roots (some roots are pretty thick). Has anyone else encountered this issue? The only thing I have been able to come up with so far is to lay hardware cloth on the ground and then cover it with dirt. Does anyone foresee any problems doing that?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to this forum. Glad you are here.

You mean something like what's shown in this link? It's what I did. Just put it on the side you want to stop the digging. You can use wire or hog rings to attach it to the bottom of your fence. I used J-Clips, available at TSC in the rabbit section.

Alberta Aprons
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex916

Good Luck!!!

 

[emanonii]

Thanks for the welcome and that link! I was thinking to cover the ground inside the entire pen, but that is a much better and easier idea.

 

[Badlatitude]

If you lay it on the ground go out a bit farther with it. Stake it down then cover it with some and gravel or something. the whole point of it is to just block them from digging into your enclosure. If you are closing the birds up in a secure coop for the night the enclosure is kind of only like a play pen anyway.