Chicken Coop Protection

[Mohib Rizvi]

So I am in the process of building a chicken coop and am confused on what to do. My coop is about 1.5 feet off the ground. Now what I am confused about is will I still need to install an hardware cloth underground fence underneath the coop? I plan on locking up the chickens in the coop every night. Since they are going to be locked up in the coop at night, should I put an underground fence underneath the run?

 

[Hope Hughes]

(Not my photo took this off the web)
I recommend doing this around everything is your area is high in predators. Doing it under the run wouldn't work too well with the hens scratching all the dirt and stuff under it. Some people even go deeper with the cloth or even just use concrete around it. But like I said it just depends on how bad predators are. In Oklahoma I never even locked them up at night. But here in Florida we own 40 acres of woods so we have lots of foxes, bobcats and coons.

 

[Mohib Rizvi]

View attachment 1065797
(Not my photo took this off the web)
I recommend doing this around everything is your area is high in predators. Doing it under the run wouldn't work too well with the hens scratching all the dirt and stuff under it. Some people even go deeper with the cloth or even just use concrete around it. But like I said it just depends on how bad predators are. In Oklahoma I never even locked them up at night. But here in Florida we own 40 acres of woods so we have lots of foxes, bobcats and coons.

So I live in Maryland. I have a fenced in yard but I have seen raccoons late night before on my lawn. But I am thinking since the chickens will be inside the coop at night and the coop is raised, it wouldn't really make sense to put the extra work and money in to install an underground fence. From the picture you sent, I think it would be a better idea to do that because that would stop them along the edges.

 

[Hope Hughes]

You should be fine with doing that. You may find later to do little changes here and there that make it better for your living area. Like I said its different in every location. Just when/if you do that as the picture shows use hardwire cloth not chicken wire. It is a little more money but is better in the end and wont have to replace as often. It holds up really well and gives them much better protection. Chicken wire is easy for predators to break. Coons are a lot smarter then people think.

 

[aart]

So I am in the process of building a chicken coop and am confused on what to do. My coop is about 1.5 feet off the ground. Now what I am confused about is will I still need to install an hardware cloth underground fence underneath the coop? I plan on locking up the chickens in the coop every night. Since they are going to be locked up in the coop at night, should I put an underground fence underneath the run?

Welcome to BYC!

If your coop is raised off the ground, then an apron is probably unnecessary if your coop is solid.
An apron is used where a wall(coop or run) meets the ground to keep things from digging under the wall and into the coop or run.

Do you have a run?
Can you post pics of your coop?

 

[jeria]

FYI coons are also around in the daytime. They dig, they climb, they tear stuff apart to get what they want.

 

[Mohib Rizvi]

I appreciate the advice everyone. From the replies, I think it would be best to use hardware cloth along the run in the way shown.

aart- I do not have any pictures at the moment but I will put them up as soon as I do. I will also have a run but the chickens will be locked up at night.

 

[aart]

I appreciate the advice everyone. From the replies, I think it would be best to use hardware cloth along the run in the way shown.

aart- I do not have any pictures at the moment but I will put them up as soon as I do. I will also have a run but the chickens will be locked up at night.

If the part of the run goes under the coop(which can be a great thing!) make sure you add the anti-dig aprons around that part too.
I'd go a bit farther out than the pic posted above shows. 12"-24"
Here's couple more examples.:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1110498/wire-around-coop#post_17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208

 

[Mohib Rizvi]

Can I use this hardware cloth for the coop?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Sta-Green-...g-Black-Polypropylene-Hardware-Cloth/50119481

 

[imnukensc]

That's plastic. I wouldn't use it.