Coop question

[Knighstar679]

I have an 11x26 foot hoop house that I have used and plan to use again for ducks. Problem I am seeing is that it has a gravel bottom. I have had harmless things burrow into the house. Taking it down is not an option I am trying to figure out a way with out digging up the whole floor to secure my ducks inside.

The idea of building a stall type of area for them came to mind but I would love to hear other thoughts on it.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Pictures?

 

[Knighstar679]

Pictures?

I will have to try and see if I have pictures of it when I get home.

 

[PirateGirl]

You could add an apron to the hoop coop to help stop some diggers.

I can't stop every vole and every prairie dog from getting into my runs, the ducks get angry, but the varmints really don't bother them too much since they are mostly on the hunt for feed.

 

[Knighstar679]

You could add an apron to the hoop coop to help stop some diggers.

I can't stop every vole and every prairie dog from getting into my runs, the ducks get angry, but the varmints really don't bother them too much since they are mostly on the hunt for feed.

My main worry is that eventually it might be a fox or raccoon that gets in and not the ground hog. I don’t mind the harmless guys it’s the ones that might sneak in at night to try and make a meal of some ducks.

 

[PirateGirl]

My main worry is that eventually it might be a fox or raccoon that gets in and not the ground hog. I don’t mind the harmless guys it’s the ones that might sneak in at night to try and make a meal of some ducks.

A predator like a fox is more likely to be stopped by an apron around your run than other sorts of critters that live in complex tunnel systems that may exist under the whole thing.

You can ad an apron without doing any digging or major construction. It just lays flat on the ground around the perimeter of the coop extending out about two feet. Here is a photo from another member.

I used garden staples like the photo below to help secure the apron to the ground and get it to lay flat. Eventually grass and things grows right up through it.

The idea is that predators don't realize that they need to back up to try and dig in and they can't dig through the fencing itself.

 

[Knighstar679]

Here is part of my problem with a skirt. I have a propane tank right near the hoop house the white building plus some water container. (one is for certain unmoveable).


The images below are what the inside looks like. Please forgive the mess I have to still work on cleaning it all out before the ducklings come.

This is the inside from the door. The other side has a door as well but I screwed it shut due to it not closing at all.

This is an idea of what the base around this looks like where things burrowed in. Again think so far it has been harmless things. But my worse fear is a something worse because the bottom is so easy to access.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

An anti digg skirt will exclude digging predators, smaller pests that are burrowers will still make access but are generally not going to pose a major threat to the

 

[CindyinSD]

You could put the skirting on the inside rather than on the outside. Pile some gravel over it to protect your birds’ feet and to act as a further deterrent to the baddies.

Another solution could be an electric fence strand around the base—either grid power or solar. It should be fairly close to the ground so that diggers can’t help engaging it. The downside to this is maintenance. You have to keep vegetation from growing up into the wire. Anything that connects it (directly or indirectly) to the ground will drain power from it.

 

[PirateGirl]

The skirting only has to go out 18" to 24", the propane tank is a non issue. I would just do your best around the water tank.

When I installed my skirting I just folded it up so there was a few inches of overlap with the existing fence structure (in your case the hoop house), and then wrapped wire to connect the two.