Hardware cloth/height question

[horror_trashcan]

Yes, securing hardware cloth would surely help stop any entry to the underside of your coop. I fasten mine with fence staples every 4 inches but as suggested by others folding it over at the edges and using fender washers and screws is also good added security.

I have been using washers with thick nails and bending the nails halfway so they lay across 2ish inches. The boards come out before the cloth does

 

[wrathsfarm]

I have been using washers with thick nails and bending the nails halfway so they lay across 2ish inches. The boards come out before the cloth does

That sounds like a good idea also. 1/2" HWC is what I would suggest using to cover any gaps bigger than a 1/2" so nothing can squeeze in.

 

[horror_trashcan]

That sounds like a good idea also. 1/2" HWC is what I would suggest using to cover any gaps bigger than a 1/2" so nothing can squeeze in.

Thank you, that's what I have been using. I pull/push test it for any loose spots as well.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Thank you, that's what I have been using. I pull/push test it for any loose spots as well.

Good luck getting your coop sealed up and predator proof.

 

[saysfaa]

Will nailing hardware cloth on the entire underneath of the coop prevent things from pushing the floorboards in?

It will help. At the least it would make it harder for the predator to focus its push on only one board. How completely it would help depends on what pushes at it.

You might price metal lath instead of hardware cloth if you are buying the hardware cloth.

Screws instead of (or in addition to) nails to hold the boards down would also help. And maybe adding some more cross pieces, maybe add them after the hardware cloth (or lath) so it will help secure the metal mesh too.

I don't think raising the coop would help much to discourage predators.

 

[horror_trashcan]

It will help. At the least it would make it harder for the predator to focus its push on only one board. How completely it would help depends on what pushes at it.

You might price metal lath instead of hardware cloth if you are buying the hardware cloth.

Screws instead of (or in addition to) nails to hold the boards down would also help. And maybe adding some more cross pieces, maybe add them after the hardware cloth (or lath) so it will help secure the metal mesh too.

I don't think raising the coop would help much to discourage predators.

The way my floor is the hardware cloth would be several inches away from the boards- height wise. My hope is their fingers can't even reach the wood through the hardware cloth.
The metal lath is a great idea, thank you.

 

[Borders3]

Sorry for your loss of chickens. Screws would give an added layer of protection. Nails do not grip like screws, so are easier for predators to push the boards up. Maybe put a couple of boards crossways over the floor and screw them down, then one or two boards would not be able to be pushed up. Maybe invest in a cordless drill to make it easier, budget allowing.

 

[horror_trashcan]

Sorry for your loss of chickens. Screws would give an added layer of protection. Nails do not grip like screws, so are easier for predators to push the boards up. Maybe put a couple of boards crossways over the floor and screw them down, then one or two boards would not be able to be pushed up. Maybe invest in a cordless drill to make it easier, budget allowing.

Thank you, I have one I just did not have many screws and had to save most for things I could not hammer. I recently acquired a box of screws for my upcoming reinforcements. I am adding an entire layer of tin under the coop so I do not have to worry about the boards as much.

 

[RnRRidgerunner]

Will nailing hardware cloth on the entire underneath of the coop prevent things from pushing the floorboards in? I will also be adding tin on the sides so it would be even harder to get underneath the coop to begin with.
Also, would lifting the coop higher do anything for me or would I just be wasting time? It's currently atop two sideways cinderblocks low enough for a weasel to let itself in so I assume it should be higher.

Ahoy horror-trashcan! Yes, nail or use screws with washers and try to go up the sides 3 to 4 inches. Make sure you use small hardware cloth like 3/8 or so as coons, possums and weasels will reach thru and pull chunks of chicken through those larger holes such as chicken wire. Do you plan on keeping your chickens inside the coop all the time, or do you have a fenced run outside the coop area? I built my coop on top of an old boat trailer so it is up off the ground. The floor is that extruded metal with screwed on large holed hardware cloth. Poop can be washed through the floor or removed via hand tools. Best of luck. I lost two of my new hens to a possum that dug under a smaller first coop on the ground with 2x4 inch mesh fence. He ate his fill and then slept in the nest box and that is where I shot it.

 

[horror_trashcan]

Ahoy horror-trashcan! Yes, nail or use screws with washers and try to go up the sides 3 to 4 inches. Make sure you use small hardware cloth like 3/8 or so as coons, possums and weasels will reach thru and pull chunks of chicken through those larger holes such as chicken wire. Do you plan on keeping your chickens inside the coop all the time, or do you have a fenced run outside the coop area? I built my coop on top of an old boat trailer so it is up off the ground. The floor is that extruded metal with screwed on large holed hardware cloth. Poop can be washed through the floor or removed via hand tools. Best of luck. I lost two of my new hens to a possum that dug under a smaller first coop on the ground with 2x4 inch mesh fence. He ate his fill and then slept in the nest box and that is where I shot it.

Looks great! They will be in the coop for a while but I will be constructing a run for them this summer.