Coop Hacks to keep unwanted out

[RuralKing_Chicken_Chick]

I’ve seen some very up set chicken lovers that have lost their loves and investments because of unwanted pests. Now this tip really doesn’t help with free range except maybe get some metallic streamers to hang throughout the yard, getting a heard protector like a Great Peranese or even getting Guinea Fowl. But for ones that do keep in coop here is a trick for your out side run. Bury some chicken wire under the ground a few inches and bring it up through and attach it to the coop run. Some great thing here one they can’t dig under or go through and two your birds will still have access to their grass and bugs and all their yummies.

 

[DobieLover]

I’ve seen some very up set chicken lovers that have lost their loves and investments because of unwanted pests. Now this tip really doesn’t help with free range except maybe get some metallic streamers to hang throughout the yard, getting a heard protector like a Great Peranese or even getting Guinea Fowl. But for ones that do keep in coop here is a trick for your out side run. Bury some chicken wire under the ground a few inches and bring it up through and attach it to the coop run. Some great thing here one they can’t dig under or go through and two your birds will still have access to their grass and bugs and all their yummies.

Better yet, use galvanized HW cloth or something sturdier than chicken wire and just lay it out in an apron around the coop and run about 24". The grass will grow through it or it can be covered with soil and reseeded.

 

[aart]

Bury some chicken wire under the ground a few inches and bring it up through and attach it to the coop run.

Chicken wire can be chewed thru......so, yeah...something heavier is best.
...and it takes more than a few inches.

Good examples of anti-dig apron installation.
If rodents are prolific, burying the apron ~12" would be good.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/wire-around-coop.1110498/#post-17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208

 

[cmom]

I’ve seen some very up set chicken lovers that have lost their loves and investments because of unwanted pests. Now this tip really doesn’t help with free range except maybe get some metallic streamers to hang throughout the yard, getting a heard protector like a Great Peranese or even getting Guinea Fowl. But for ones that do keep in coop here is a trick for your out side run. Bury some chicken wire under the ground a few inches and bring it up through and attach it to the coop run. Some great thing here one they can’t dig under or go through and two your birds will still have access to their grass and bugs and all their yummies.

 

[RuralKing_Chicken_Chick]

@DobieLover and @aart let me rephrase the term “chicken wire” and “hardware” because what you mean and what I mean are two in the same. See what you think when I say chicken wire I’m taking about the 1/2 inch square hardware cloth that ranges from 16 gauge to 23 gauge and hex wire is your term of chicken wire.

growing up we always laid down the cloth and put dirt and seed down so 1.Nothing could dig in and 2. Nothing could dig out. Always worked for us and never had to worry about it getting lifted or pushed around because we would then attach it to the run. Which is nice because we Have lots of straight line winds and tornados.

 

[aart]

what you mean and what I mean are two in the same

But it's not the same.
Typical hardware cloth comes in 19ga 1/2" x 1/2" or 23ga 1/4" x 1/4" welded wire mesh.
Chicken wire is typically 1" or 2" hexagonal twisted wire mesh, typically about 20ga.
Read the descriptions/specs on your products and be more specific when describing them.
Colloquial 'names' for wire mesh products can cause much confusion.

 

[QUEENIE II]

Weasels exploit rat runs. They are devastating. Use 1/4" hardware cloth or risk getting a broken heart over a quarter size hole in your coop defenses someday.

 

[cmom]

There is definitely a difference between chicken wire and hardware cloth.