Excavation by Birds - A Word of Warning

[EggWalrus]

Oh okee - sorry

I just misunderstood then. But I think your point about the rust and disintegration is a good one aart. I have small children that run around and play in the dirt with barefoot and little fingers and the stuff on the outside of the run might be just as dangerous for them. I hadn't thought about it before.

When I was a kid, there was a local Chinese fried chicken joint that used to advertise on radio. I still remember their jingle.

Chickadee China,
The Chinese Chicken!
Just take one bite,
And your brains start clickin'!
When you want something,
Better than Finger Lickin',
Pick Chickadee China!
The Chinese Chicken!

 

[tlatham72]

Chickens can DIG!!!
There are many places where I've had to stick pavers or bricks around where they dig so they don't undermine concrete blocks or dig right out from under the run walls. There's a concrete block sitting tall, that held up one end of a roost that was darn near about to fall, I fixed it before the pics so it's not included here.

It's pretty crazy, so thought I'd share some pics of what parts of my run look like where I need to add some more deterrents.
If you have any structural blocks, posts, etc...protect them from The Chicken Excavators!!!

Here I added a couple pieces of concrete, they just dug out between them...this hole is about 4" deep.


This is just in the middle of the run about 6" deep, I'll leave it as is, the line of pavers covers a drain pipe...so they won't dig it up.


Old gate and grazing frame leaning up against run wall.
They have dug down all around them to they are just held up but some dirt.

Wow! The pics really put their digging into perspective!

 

[tlatham72]

Maybe I'll get lucky and find someone who wants to get rid of that plastic grass-saving temporary driveway stuff.

Edit: Turf reinforcement, that's the stuff. There's some here. Perhaps I should take the metal mesh up now, while it's still whole?

Question/concern about using the turf reinforcement stuff. Wondering if the chickens could get it wrapped around the beaks or legs, etc. and get hurt? I'm a newbie and still i the planning stages, but my concern is based on two events:

1. One day sitting in our local park by the river (where the city had installed lots of grass sod), I saw a duck with it wrapped around its beak to the degree it required human intervention to remove. Duck was in great distress.
2. My own dog (an aggressive digger) got her paw hung and wrapped up in some in my backyard. Previous owners had installed sodded grass. She also required my help to get free from it. Other times, I've seen both of my digging dogs carrying around big swatches of it around in their mouths as they would a bone or stick.

I used to wonder why that mesh used in sod ins't made out of something that would deteriorate after a while. But now that I'm planning for chickens, I find I'm looking for mesh that WON'T deteriorate. LOL

 

[tlatham72]

If the hardware mesh rusts/disintegrates, then why put it in an apron or dig it down around outside of run? Eek, really don't want to go through replacing that!!

I've been wondering the same thing as I'm planning my coop and run and a perimeter fence for my yard. My fence is a substantial 4 rail board fence, but I'm lining it with wire since it is meant to contain my dogs. I've picked a wire (albeit pricey) that has a coating that gives it a 30 year life). Now I'm trying to figure out what to use for the apron around this fence because that wire costs too much to buy it 24 inches taller to create the L apron or trench into the ground. M fence is 900 ft long. So, I need something less expensive, but I also need something that won't break down very quickly b/c I certainly don't want to install 900 ft of apron every couple of years! Back breaking. And I may install an apron on both sides of the fence to keep my dogs from digging on the inside and predators from digging on the outside. Whew. Tired already.

 

[tlatham72]

My chickens...are on pensions and social security..

I sure hope mine make it to pensions and social security! LOL. I don't even have them yet (I'm still learning and planning) but I'm terrified of the predators getting them. Ever single chicken owner I talk to in person (friends with chickens, feed and seed owners, etc.) to ask advice about keeping my 100% pet chickens safe all go:"Oh, you should just go ahead and expect to lose some of them." -(

 

[cavemanrich]

So, I need something less expensive, but I also need something that won't break down very quickly b/c I certainly don't want to install 900 ft of apron every couple of years! Back breaking. And I may install an apron on both sides of the fence to keep my dogs from digging on the inside and predators from digging on the outside. Whew. Tired already.

Do your dogs dig under the current fence???
You have 900 feet to protect from digging predators. Most digging predators dig, because they are not able to go over the top of fence. That would be a secured small run that has top covered/secured as well.
No matter what you try with the perimeter underground, your 900 foot fenced area is still not predator proof for the obvious overhead area open. I suggest you have your coop inside a smaller well secured run that has the top covered as well. This would minimize predators entering.
Most predators that is. Some are nearly impossible to keep out, like mink, and weasels and such from that category . Maybe you wont have those predators to deal with.
Free range in the larger area under some supervision, or when you know the safe cycles. (when you are pretty sure predators will not be there)
I would skip securing the 900 feet for now, and concentrate in the smaller secure run. There are also much less expensive options to secure long perimeters. (Hot Wire works well)
Only effective protection from hawks, is overhead wire/netting.

I sure hope mine make it to pensions and social security! LOL. I don't even have them yet (I'm still learning and planning) but I'm terrified of the predators getting them. Ever single chicken owner I talk to in person (friends with chickens, feed and seed owners, etc.) to ask advice about keeping my 100% pet chickens safe all go:"Oh, you should just go ahead and expect to lose some of them." -(

Nothing is 100% in life. Best we can do is TRY OUR BEST.
Ask anything else you are not sure about....
and WELCOME TO BYC,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[aart]

Adding more wood chippings is way over due.

'Pot Holes'

 

[Barbs Girls]

Adding more wood chippings is way over due.

'Pot Holes'
View attachment 1781885

Aart- how do you handle the rain mucking up your run. I’m always looking for ideas!

 

[aart]

Aart- how do you handle the rain mucking up your run. I’m always looking for ideas!

I keep it covered with ramial wood chippings,
but ran short last fall so many spots are just 'dirt'.
Have been putting down thin layers of pine shavings and/or straw if it gets mucky after a rain. Luckily my soil is pretty sandy so it drains well.

 

[Barbs Girls]

I keep it covered with ramial wood chippings,
but ran short last fall so many spots are just 'dirt'.
Have been putting down thin layers of pine shavings and/or straw if it gets mucky after a rain. Luckily my soil is pretty sandy so it drains well.

Ok thanks... ours doesn’t drain as well as we’d like. I do put hay in there and it does help but always looking for the next best thing!