coop/run protection..

[gino100]

I see there are 2 basic ways to protect the run from digging predators.. bury hardware cloth a foot deep around the perimeter or use hardware cloth as a 2 foot apron around in on the ground... does one work better? just trying to figure out which way to go.. I'm thinking the apron would be easier to do but I wasn't sure if its as effective? Any thoughts.. the run is 11 x 8 feet.

 

[aart]

From what I've read, the apron is much easier and just as effective, just bury it a couple of inches.

 

[JanetS]

Or bury patio stones sideways in the ground all around the coop/run.

 

[QuietPony]

Or bury patio stones sideways in the ground all around the coop/run.

I have a ton of these that I was going to use for the run! I had not thought of turning them sideways. I was just going to lay them flat and put the chain link dog (chicks) run on top so that the majority of the stone is on the outside of the perimeter. Then line the inside of the run with hardware cloth and bury it a number of inches deep. If that makes and sense. lol

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Burying things to prevent digging is usually just wasted effort when you can stop digging much easier at the surface

A verticle patio stone wouldn't be nearly as secure as a wire apron

 

[schnebbles]

what do you mean by apron?

I just bought a coop today and will be setting it and building a run.

 

[Our Roost]

Predators! That covers a huge list of critters. Setting up protective perimeters around your coop and run is essential to keep your birds in and the critters out. My first question would be, do you have a flooring in your coop? If not, you will need what I call a rat wall surrounding the coops exterior. It needs to be a material that rats or other critters wont chew through or dig under. A depth of about 6 to 8 inches will usually deter them from digging any deeper. If you have a plywood or cement floor you need not be concerned.
Chickens will dig around fence perimeters much like a dog in an effort to explore and escape captivity to see whats on the other side of the fence. I purchased some 1 x 6 weather treated planking to border the outside of my run area. You will need to bury about 4 inches of the edge in the ground. I also added some pea gravel on top and as a filler to hinder their dust bathing holes that they so frequently make. I also put some on the outside of the fenced area to keep predators from attempting to dig their way in. Might I suggest that you think about an attached Florida room with a roof to protect them from hawks and owls when you aren't around to watch them. Or erect a cover over your run area!
GOOD LUCK!

 

[MoonShadows]

I plan on going with a 2' apron of hardware cloth buried 1-2 inches. I did this around our large veggie garden a few years ago, and since then, I haven't had a problem with diggers. It stops them cold.

 

[schnebbles]

Do I need to actually dig and bury the wire? Say I set my coop and lay wire all under it and around it and then put cement blocks or pea gravel all around the coop 1' at least. Would that be good enough or not? I was going to try not to build a run and just let them have our small back yard. I know there is a danger of hawks so I'm not sure yet what I will do. I think I should make a run. My yard is really tiny.

Do coons and ground predators come eat chickens during the day or is that more at night? My chickens will always be cooped at night.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: There's no advantage to burying anything.
If your goal is to stop animals from digging in, laying wire on the surface stops them without all the extra work.
If you have grass growing outside your coop/run, then just a half inch of dirt on the wire will work exactly the same as having a foot of dirt on the wire

Putting wire both under the coop and around the coop is overkill too unless you use 1/4" hardware cloth, since mice won't even slow down going through half inch