help with PVC chicken run

[Devanie]

I have built a PVC chicken run 15x5 with small coop inside and top on top, merely to get chickens off my porch. I lock them up in their coop at night, lol with a little bribery from some pieces of bread.
PROMBLEM being need advice on making run secure on ground so no critters to get under? my theory was to have this run at daytime and lock down at night so didn't think I needed to secure to ground other then corners for stability? therefore I also made it with the green plastic poultry stuff from home depot since funds are very little. I live in Tacoma so chickens are in the backyard, they were a birthday present given to my granddaughter and she loves them, so trying to manage! any suggestions welcome please!!

 

[ShellyBlanco]

We used deer netting on our pvc coop. Leave 6 to 8 inches in length along the bottom, you can tuck it inward/outward to keep critters out. I have 22 three week old meat birds in mine right now, no problems.

 

[snow5164]

You could place rocks or bricks on the netting skirt, I recommend a 18 inch skirt, the concept is that an animal will try to dig right where they want to get in... they they hit the wire and give up.

Rock look nice you could plant flowers around them ... sounds nice right ?

 

[llombardo]

I have a pvc run and I put hardware cloth under and out 2 ft stapled into ground and attached it with bolts to the pvc

 

[Devanie]

I have a pvc run and I put hardware cloth under and out 2 ft stapled into ground and attached it with bolts to the pvc

This sounds like a real good secure idea, is there any way you could send me a picture?

 

[snow5164]

That’s true I forgot how we stapled down our “ skirt”, we got metal coat hangers from second hand store , cut in half bent into a u shape , pushed into the grass and we don’t mow right beside the run ..... oh yes that was many moons ago

 

[Devanie]

We used deer netting on our pvc coop. Leave 6 to 8 inches in length along the bottom, you can tuck it inward/outward to keep critters out. I have 22 three week old meat birds in mine right now, no problems.View attachment 1518900

Thanks for the picture of run wish I would've asked before building my crazy one lol!!

 

[Devanie]

That’s true I forgot how we stapled down our “ skirt”, we got metal coat hangers from second hand store , cut in half bent into a u shape , pushed into the grass and we don’t mow right beside the run ..... oh yes that was many moons ago

love this idea now I only need to find wire hangers, ugh lol, I will go to second hand stores also and maybe put something out there on craigs list? This is sounds doable for an old grandma, thanks!!

 

[Devanie]

You could place rocks or bricks on the netting skirt, I recommend a 18 inch skirt, the concept is that an animal will try to dig right where they want to get in... they they hit the wire and give up.

Rock look nice you could plant flowers around them ... sounds nice right ?

Thanks ive been reading about herbs that might be beneficial to the chickens I could plant some of those!! Also that rats and mice don't like mint so was going to try that too!!

 

[PirateGirl]

love this idea now I only need to find wire hangers, ugh lol, I will go to second hand stores also and maybe put something out there on craigs list? This is sounds doable for an old grandma, thanks!!

Yard/garden staples are somewhere around $7 for a box of 50.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Dalen-Products-Garden-Staples-40-Pack-GS-40BHD/202871741

https://www.homedepot.com/p/6-in-x-...es-300-Piece-per-Bag-27-17686-300-6/206655172

Once your skirt is stapled to the ground the grass (if you have any) will grow up through it. I did find myself tripping on the edges of my skirt when I'd go out to the run before I'd stapled it in place. You can shovel some dirt on top of the skirt if nothing grows there if you don't want it to be visible.