Hello from Tennessee

[amymartin06]

Are there any precautions I can take to prevent predators from digging under the coop? We are just starting out and alst night I woke up worried about this idea. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Weasleymum]

Either dig down a few feet around the coop foundation and continue the hardware cloth down into this trench (filling the rest of the trench with gravel), or dig *out* and lay the wire on its side, making a kind of apron all around the coop, then cover it with sod or gravel. This coop really illustrates the second method well-- scroll through the pictures and you'll see what he did. I think the second way would be easier, it's what I plan to do. (So far I've just had a moveable tractor-- no foundation-- but am about to build a permanent coop.)

 

[amymartin06]

Thanks. I was thinking about this as an option.

 

[aart]

Aprons are more effective and easier.
Smaller mesh than the linked coop uses and out 18-24"....cover the corners too by making the end pieces longer.