How deep does run fencing need to go down to be predetor proof?

[farmgirl2477]

It looks like my chooks are going to be fenced in for the first time in thier life!! We a coon (or possibly a badger) on the loose and attacking during the day I have no choice. Just wondering how deep I need to dig down and bury fence line so that it cant dig under.

Thanks,
Shannon

 

[AK-Bird-brain]

I'd go down about a foot to a foot and a half. and curve the fence out in an L shape. That way it should get discouraged and give up when it keeps kitting fence.

I'd be more concerned with the day light attacks. I thought coons only roamed around during the day?

 

[MTchick]

Sick, rabid coons like the day. Normal, healthy coons hunt at night. Either way they are bad for chickens, but if you see a raccoon during the middle of the day doing things like eating garbage in the sunlight or walking around in an open area, call animal control or another authority immediately and be really really careful.

-MTchick

 

[aran]

i have about 10inches of the fencing buried around my coop /run with chicken wire laying flat on the ground and buried just below the surface outside the run.

 

[Yonaton]

Actually, coons will and do hunt at any time of day or night. They *usually* are out at night, but it's no set rule. I've watched 'em hunting crawdads all day long down in our bottomland, and caught 'em eating the cat food on our front porch in the middle of the day. Same with opossums...they will be out most any time of the day or night, but usually at night.

When you see a coon any time and it's showing no sign of fear of a human, that is the time to get the gun or call the Game Warden or animal control, because then it's one that probably has rabies.

 

[jenichick]

We buried ours in 8 inches of concrete all the way around included the front of the coop. 25x25 x 70 bags of concrete (cost more than the entire coop)! Now I just have to worry about coons climbing up and over the 7 foot wall. Hopefully the netting will stop them if they do climb over but I don't have it up yet. I just started letting mine out in the run all day. I worry about them when I'm at work.

 

[farmgirl2477]

The animal did not hang around as soon as it heard me coming. Of course I wasnt exactly quiet about it LOL As soon as I saw something was in there I ran screaming at it. It left Blondie and took Topps. Being so hot here in Florida, and wet, we havent been outside awhole lot.

Im going to take Topps into the vet on Monday morning, ill tell it all to the vet. If he suspects rabies, Ill call immediatly. As for now, we are all very careful. Tomorrow we will be clearing all the brush away from the fences and coop, and start securing the run to pen my babies in for awhile.

Shannon

 

[rooster-red]

Run your fence down to about 4" or so below ground, then attach some 24" chicken wire to the bottom and lay it down flat. (you'll need to dig a 2' wide x 4" deep trough all the way around) then bury the chicken wire.

If an animal starts to dig and hits the chicken wire it will rip its toes, its painful and they won't keep digging.

Its the most cost effective way I know of.