Finally fished my new run

[aart]

View attachment 1112416
Here is a photo of what I am doing, new at this so it has not yet been tested. The wire fencing is some welded wire 3 foot garden rabbit fencing with a layer of 24 inch 1/2 inch hardware cloth underneath overlapping about 8 inches. The frame for the run is now on top of the pavers. The cement blocks are there just to prevent erosion as my coop is on a slight slope.

I wouldn't put the apron down until the sides of run are meshed, you want to attach the apron to the mesh walls of run.
The pavers will work good inside the run to keep the birds from digging 'out'.

 

[fightingbunny]

How far from the edge of the wall can pavers be placed? I plan on doing an apron, but I also want pavers so that the roof drip won't dig a trench and splash mud everywhere. I had a lot of extra pavers laying around, so I would like to have them under the "drip line". My roof extends 12 to 18 inches (depends on side), so if a paver is 10 inches away from the run wall, will that be enough to sucker a predator into digging on the "ground" between paver and wall where the apron is?

 

[aart]

My roof extends 12 to 18 inches (depends on side), so if a paver is 10 inches away from the run wall, will that be enough to sucker a predator into digging on the "ground" between paver and wall where the apron is?

Probably, they usually dig right where the wall meets the ground.
It's when they are right against the wall and cover most the apron,
that they can get under paver and the apron.

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

I haven't seen any raccoons yet, thankfully. I'm hoping I never do. My dogs don't seem to care much about the chickens. One of the dogs is scared to death of them

I see you live in Connecticut and, in your pics, I see a lot of big trees---very nice and the perfect place for raccoons to breed and grow.
I live in the lower Hudson Valley in NY---we have raccoons, coyotes, foxes, mink, weasels, and various aerial predators. Not to mention dogs and feral cats.
Raccoons are active mostly at night. We've been on this property three years and I can say that the only evidence I have seen of them is roadkill and tracks in the snow.
But they are here and they are nasty killers of chickens.
When I lived in a more suburban area of NY I saw raccoons all the time, ducking into gutter drains in the curbs. We disposed of some that had set up shop in the space between our first floor ceiling and second floor. Another big pregnant one hissed at me from the rafters in our carport when I went out at 5:30 in the morning to go to work. Somehow she disappeared (no further comment).
But here, where there is more cover for them, I don't actually see them except when they are dead on the road.
I truly wish I could say that if you haven't actually seen them they won't be a problem but I find it difficult to believe that they're not living in your environment.
Sorry, but I'm afraid that raccoons may eventually find your precious birds and give you a lot of heartache---so please consider more predator-proofing!

 

[Squeak61]

I see you live in Connecticut and, in your pics, I see a lot of big trees---very nice and the perfect place for raccoons to breed and grow.
I live in the lower Hudson Valley in NY---we have raccoons, coyotes, foxes, mink, weasels, and various aerial predators. Not to mention dogs and feral cats.
Raccoons are active mostly at night. We've been on this property three years and I can say that the only evidence I have seen of them is roadkill and tracks in the snow.
But they are here and they are nasty killers of chickens.
When I lived in a more suburban area of NY I saw raccoons all the time, ducking into gutter drains in the curbs. We disposed of some that had set up shop in the space between our first floor ceiling and second floor. Another big pregnant one hissed at me from the rafters in our carport when I went out at 5:30 in the morning to go to work. Somehow she disappeared (no further comment).
But here, where there is more cover for them, I don't actually see them except when they are dead on the road.
I truly wish I could say that if you haven't actually seen them they won't be a problem but I find it difficult to believe that they're not living in your environment.
Sorry, but I'm afraid that raccoons may eventually find your precious birds and give you a lot of heartache---so please consider more predator-proofing!

Oh wow, I definitely need to do some more predator proofing! I hadn't realized how dangerous they can really be to my flock

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

Oh wow, I definitely need to do some more predator proofing! I hadn't realized how dangerous they can really be to my flock

I am sorry---I wish we all could enjoy raising our girls in a Utopia but the cruel reality is that in most cases there are many critters out there who would like nothing better than an easy chicken dinner.
So we do our very best to keep them safe. This is all a big learning experience for us newbie chicken owners and everyone here wants the best for us.
Great advice here, given gently and with the best intentions!!

 

[User395221]

I am sorry---I wish we all could enjoy raising our girls in a Utopia

Every time I read posts of what you in the US have to contend with, I very much feel that I am in a Utopia, here in the city without all those "critters".

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

Every time I read posts of what you in the US have to contend with, I very much feel that I am in a Utopia, here in the city without all those "critters".

Wait a minute....you mean all that Crocodile Dundee stuff was FAKE?

 

[Squeak61]

I am sorry---I wish we all could enjoy raising our girls in a Utopia but the cruel reality is that in most cases there are many critters out there who would like nothing better than an easy chicken dinner.
So we do our very best to keep them safe. This is all a big learning experience for us newbie chicken owners and everyone here wants the best for us.
Great advice here, given gently and with the best intentions!!

Every time I read posts of what you in the US have to contend with, I very much feel that I am in a Utopia, here in the city without all those "critters".

Thank you all so much for the tips! I've definitely learned that I need to be more careful

 

[User395221]

Wait a minute....you mean all that Crocodile Dundee stuff was FAKE?

Nah, but you do realise it was out in the middle of nowhere, we don't have buffalo and crocodiles here in town? (unlike Florida, there the alligators roam the streets )