Cinder blocks / Bricks VS Hardware Cloth Apron

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
Totally agree! Not that it's happen to me, but my dog (who happens to be blind) is able to move a cinderblock with nooooooo problem whatsoever. If she figures out how to use a lock and key to open the gate I'm going to be in trouble!!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
It depends somewhat on WHAT you're trying to keep out. If it is something that starts off underground, e.g. moles, then yes, the apron needs to start off underground a ways and angle up.

However that's not the case with chickens. The only thing that you might even POSSIBLY want to keep out that's gonna start out underground is rats, and you know what, you're not likely to be able to keep rats out no matter what

(Certainly not with ANY kind of apron whatsoever, nor buried wire foot-of-fencing either).

So all you really have to worry about here is surface critters, like dogs and skunks and coyotes and so forth. With them, as long as the apron is reasonably wide (2-3' is safest; you would have to go wider for a few individual "very professional" foxes that are out there and have learned to make a living off chicken coops, but most people don't face that situation even if they do have foxes) and the outer edge is not obvious, it works FINE to have it horizontal and at-or-just-below the surface of the ground. And it is, as you can imagine, vastly less work to install it that way

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Juise]

Thanks so much, guys! There is not grass, or at least not the compact, regular grass of a lawn, around our coop, so we will bury it a bit then, but, whew! Not at an angle sure does make that task a lot easier. Are we talking about a couple inches of soil on top, or more? If I bury it, should I also use the landscape staples? And why would you need to keep moles out? We do have foxes around, we were going to do a 2' apron, do you think that would be risky? We have 4' that we were going to cut in half

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Honestly IMO the simplest thing is usually to turn the outer edge down a tad (just so it isn't obvious to predators and doesn't catch on your toes or the lawnmower blade) and then dump mulch or gravel or stones or concrete rubble or dirt over top of it. Whichever you prefer. Other options exist too -- like peeling back your turf to the width of the apron, putting the apron wire down, then replacing the turf -- but that is a whole lot more work. You can even go "super low work" and just leave it ON TOP OF the existing grass or dirt or whatever (and THEN you would want to pin it down with some landscape pins or a few strategically-located cinderblocks or etc) and simply let the grass and weeds grow up thru it and consume it. Eventually it can get to where you can mow right over it. Personally I like the 'cover with mulch or gravel or something' approach best tho.

And why would you need to keep moles out?

You don't, that's my point

But if you were doing an apron around a GARDEN to try to keep moles and voles from making a mess of your veggies, THEN you might want to

We do have foxes around, we were going to do a 2' apron, do you think that would be risky? We have 4' that we were going to cut in half

2' is probably adequate as long as they're just amateur foxes LOL. I wouldn't worry about doing 4' unless your area has a known problem with foxes digging into henhouses.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat​

 

[Juise]

No one else around here has got chickens, as far as I know. I hope we don't learn the hard way that we should have gone more!

 

[patandchickens]

IMO chances are real good that a properly-made 2' apron will do the job

Not trying to dissuade you from going wider if you want to, of course, just offering my opinion.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Juise]

Just realized our hardware cloth is 3', not 4'. We were planning on cutting it in half, but I was thinking it was 4', and it sounds like 1 1/2' would be pushing it too much.

Looks like we'll be putting down 3' after all. (Despite the additional cost when we haven't got much to spare, I can't say I am too terribly disappointed about not having to cut through 50' of hardware cloth!

)

 

[hisdaughter]

Home Depot in Florida carries 4 ft wide, 1/2" hardware cloth.It's not cheap though!

 

[Juise]

No it really isn't! We already have the 3' though, so it looks like we'll be going that route, although we do need more now.