Hardware Cloth - How Far Up Run and Run Floor?

[rosemarythyme]

I'm not really looking forward to trenching. I did that on an older coop years ago and it was a real pain. We have clay soil so it's a nightmare in terms of digging.
I figured the rats would probably climb. I was just hopeful that maybe I have some lazy ones who wouldn't try it. I'm probably going to go all the way up.
I really thought about laying hardware cloth down on the floor of the run, but I'm nervous about my birds' feet.

I know you already said you decided against it, but in order to cover the run floor with wire you'd have to dig down and lay it at least 6" or more under the surface and then backfill. So basically, trenching it.

Yes rats will climb. I have HWC up about 2, 3' on my run fence, and that's how they get in, by climbing up until they reach the unprotected part. I do have traps set (in protected spaces with gaps just big enough for rats) so that keeps them in check.

 

[DuckDuckSook]

Placing pavers on top of the skirt defeats the purpose of a skirt. All it does is tell the rats where to start digging their tunnels. Dirt, mulch, or fine gravel are better choices.

But wouldn't they just dig the tunnels beginning at the end of the skirt anyway - regardless of what is on top of the skirt?

 

[Sally PB]

I am adding 2 more cats this spring though. Maybe that will help.
I'm also relocating the run/coop closer to the barn where the cats spend most of their time. That also might prove helpful.

This sounds like a good idea.

 

[StinkyAcres]

But wouldn't they just dig the tunnels beginning at the end of the skirt anyway - regardless of what is on top of the skirt?

Yes, it is possible with very determined rats. Rodents typically start their tunnels at the edge of something solid such as a foundation, rock, etc. and go towards food and shelter, but that isn't always the case. But I think if you are going to cover your entire run with hardware cloth (and make food inaccessible at night, etc.) that should deter most of them.

 

[perkolator]

Sounds like you already have much of your fence security covered with chain link and added small mesh with anti-dig skirting. If you don't have predators that can make it past that, at this point I'd probably leave it as-is, and focus on knocking down the populations with rodent traps.

I've made myself some scrap wood boxes based on this design, for housing my rat traps, to keep other animals away from them. I really like the design with the rope-pull, as you can visually see it's been sprung without opening it up:

Good luck with the rodents