Chicken wire "apron" instead of buried?

[drymanhattan]

The weak link in my coop design is that the hardware cloth around the run was not buried more than a few inches underground. It is on a slight slope so that the lower corner seems especially vulnerable. We have all the predators here - foxes, coyotes, raccoons, so I must fortify this. I dread the idea of digging down further and installing more mesh. Could I fashion an apron a few feet wide of chicken wire on top of the ground all around the coop instead? Thanks!

 

[dheltzel]

Yes, I always lay the wire on top of the ground and let the grass/weeds grow through it. If you are concerned that predators might go underneath it, add some weights on top for a while. I use old 2x4's and landscape timbers.

 

[drymanhattan]

Just what I was hoping to hear, and yes I will weight it well with rocks too heavy for ME to lift!