Covered run help needed...

[BBrady]

I feel sorta dumb asking this, but i dont want to waste too much of my time and resources moving forward with building my covered run until i have a confident plan.

If i build a covered run using frames built of 1/2" hardware cloth and 8' long 2"x4" pieces, (8' high and 16' or longer and 16' wide or wider), will it be safe enough to set it on the ground directly, or will i have to dig anything into the ground? we have raccoons, but they dont seem to be so aggressive. they come eat cat food or chicken feed if its left out, and they have walked up to the coop, but i have never seen one in my coop, and when some girls spend the night in the tree above the coop, they last untouched until morning and seem just fine. the feed is kept in a metal 20 gallon trash bin with a metal lid, and friends have had to use bungee cords to keep the coons from taking the lid off, but we havent yet.

 

[TerryPy]

I would bury a foot of wire or put it at a 90 degree angle along the ground and cover with some dirt. Burying it really isn't that hard especially if you soak the ground a bit, use a pick axe and easier to do now then later. If you have access to a "ditch witch" that is used for digging landscape water lines etc its real easy for bigger jobs. Even if the coons don't break in preparing for rats and snakes is always a good idea.

We built our 2x4 frames with 1/2 foot off the bottom and just slipped it in as we stood them up.

 

[PapaChaz]

you don't have to dig and bury wire, just make an apron around the coop and run by laying the wire directly on the ground. Attach it to the frame of the run and anchor the outside edge with landscape cloth staples. Some people will then cover with mulch, plant things etc or some will just let the grass grow up through it. I covered mine with mulch. I used 18" wire, so that's a foot and a half apron completely surrounding mine.

a digging predator will go up against the barrier wall and begin to dig. when they hit the wire, they stop, they might move sideways but they don't have the ability to think logically and back up until there is no more wire. Some have even said their own dog tried digging in, hit the wire and broke a toe nail and never tried again.

 

[ChickenMammX4]

Please don't be fooled into thinking those raccoons aren't aggressive!!! They will kill your chickens.

We have the hardware cloth on the run buried about 2' but as far as I know an apron will work as well.

 

[PapaChaz]

Please don't be fooled into thinking those raccoons aren't aggressive!!! They will kill your chickens.

We have the hardware cloth on the run buried about 2' but as far as I know an apron will work as well.

oh I agree 100%!

I've always just used an apron and never had problems. We know we had coons and a neighbors dog who tried to get in our last coop at our last place because I had a trail camera set up watching. They would scratch and hit wire and give up. That hardware cloth is rough on them paws when they start to dig aggressively and then hit it!

 

[BBrady]

Thanks. This info helps.