Coop on uneven ground with 5" gap

[linguini]

Hi. Need your suggestion with my new coop...the ground that it was installed on was unfortunately not level so I have up to a 5" gap I need to deal with. Main goal is to keep rodents out from underneath (the coop has a floor so I'm not worried about predators).

Please see pics. It's the far right end in 1st photo. (Don't mind the dog!).

I would put an apron of hardware cloth around it - seems easiest to do.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree the best way to keep rodents out from under there is the anti-dig apron or dig a trench and bury the hardware cloth straight down several inches. Usually I don't worry about mice or rats, it is so hard to keep them from climbing in somewhere else, and an apron will stop the predators I worry about. But you are looking a that underneath space, not the coop itself. Voles and moles especially can tunnel underground and give mice and rats a way in. The food to attract them doesn't have to be under the building, they are looking for a predator-to-them safe place to raise a family.

I'm not sure how much support that bottom beam will provide over time. My concern would be that the support beam would warp over time allowing your building to warp enough that the windows and doors will bind. If it were me I'd provide extra support under there.

 

[My Three Chicks]

Hi everyone. Many thanks for all the thoughts and comments!
Thus far I've stuffed .25 cubic yards of dirt under the coop part and put brick pavers all around the perimeter where there was a gap on both the coop and run!
Next I'll figure out the skirt/anti-tunnel part.
Right now my back is aching!

 

[Regina Larsen]

Hi. Need your suggestion with my new coop...the ground that it was installed on was unfortunately not level so I have up to a 5" gap I need to deal with. Main goal is to keep rodents out from underneath (the coop has a floor so I'm not worried about predators).

Please see pics. It's the far right end in 1st photo. (Don't mind the dog!).

Hardware cloth apron works every time. Coop looks lovely!

 

[My Three Chicks]

Hardware cloth apron works every time.

Yep got the hardware cloth but can I just staple it directly to the wood (coop) and just turn it along the ground? Then bury under dirt (and pea gravel which I'm using to create a walk path). Or is it not that simple?

 

[Regina Larsen]

Yep got the hardware cloth but can I just staple it directly to the wood (coop) and just turn it along the ground? Then bury under dirt (and pea gravel which I'm using to create a walk path). Or is it not that simple?

Yes, that's fine. You can choose to bury it parallel to the ground at about 3" deep and extending out about 18-24".
If you attach it and dig it straight into the ground parallel with the coop wall 12 inches deep is usually fine.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Take a furring strip, maybe 2" to 3"wide and 3/4" thick, drill pilot holes, and screw that to the vertical wall with the hardware cloth underneath. You are making a sandwich with the hardware cloth between the two pieces of wood. Bend the hardware cloth out at a 90 degree angle. Since you are worried about rodents I'd bury it a couple of inches.

Cover the edge of the hardware cloth so all sharp points are covered. You are not going to snag skin or clothing afterwards. If you put screws through a hole in the hardware cloth it isn't going anywhere. Just clamping it down tight will secure it. The pilot holes should keep the strip from splitting but if you put fender washers on the screws you can really clamp it down. The pilot holes make it easy to start the screws.

This is the way I attach hardware cloth, 2x4 welded wire, and chicken wire to a flat wooden surface.