digging down and apron?

[beach livin']

the perimerter of the run will have a 2x12 and 12 ft long, and we are going to place it a few inches into the ground so we will have about an 8 inch boarder above ground to nail the fencing to. do you think i need to add a skirt too?

 

[mtnhens4]

We used landscape timbers between the posts of our run and dug down about 1ft. and extended the hardware cloth into the "ditch", it flared out at the bottom and then we covered it with dirt. Digging preditors will dig under your run walls or coop walls to get a chicken dinner, it's best to make it as hard for them to get in as you can.

 

[beach livin']

im starting to get really scared now for the chickens we havent even gotten yet

. and im starting to worry that im not doing enough.

 

[Coop10X]

The recommended minimum depth to bury hardware cloth (1/2" galvanized) is 8 to 12 inches deep.

Or alternatively 12 to 24 inches laying flat and forming an 'L' (like an apron) around your coops' perimeter...Then cover with your choice of landscape materials.

Regards, Coop.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

do you think i need to add a skirt too?

Only if you want to keep animals from digging in

 

[Schroeder]

Don't bother burying the 2x12 and skirt out the hardware cloth a couple of feet. Just level the ground enough that there aren't huge gaps beneath the board. I'd use a 2x8 if that is the height you want, or if you already have the 2x12's go with them for 12 inch height. If you skirt out the hardware cloth, burying the 2x12's part way is wasted effort. With mine, I bought a couple truck loads of topsoil to cover the skirting after it was installed. Eventually, the grass and weeds grow right up through the hardware cloth and you never know it is there.

 

[debid]

Either dig deep or attach an apron -- whatever is easier/works better for your situation. But, you do need one or the other. It isn't just critters digging in, chickens will dig out! They're not trying to escape, necessarily, but they like to make dust baths right up against the fence and it only takes them an afternoon of play to create an access point for a predator otherwise.

 

[sulco]

beach livin' :

im starting to get really scared now for the chickens we havent even gotten yet

. and im starting to worry that im not doing enough.

I was like that before we got our chickens; I was going crazy trying to decide on a coop and run style. It got a lot easier when I broke it down to small pieces instead of looking at the overall picture; sometimes too much information can be bad!

We just started with getting a secure coop in place and worried about the run/etc later. After the basic structure was up, I made changes to it as my knowledge increased, but at some point you have to trust your decision. It can be daunting, but at the same time very enjoyable if you let it!​

 

[Ole rooster]

I went with what a lot of folks recommended and used 2X4 welded wire flat on the ground 18 inches out from the bottom. On top of that I use 12X 12 paver all the way around the run and coop. So far no takers on the digging. But my dog has gotten 6 possum close by.

You can't see the wire here but it extends out beyond the pavers by 6 inches.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Quote:
X2! No need to dig down your apron very deep... if at all. They stop when they hit wire. It would make sense to have your wire closer to the surface.