How level does the gound need to be?

[brisbanebatman]

photo of our style of excavating, burying hc and using perimeter frame, then filling in the trench, leveling the frame for the coop

 

[jeria]

plan on burying the hardware cloth 12 inches below ground, with a L shape pointing outward, to stop predators from digging under the fence.

consider using play sand for the run, as it helps the bird droppings clump together like kitty litter, easier to scoop up, and easy for dust baths to be built and remodeled, and not muddy like dirt.

Clay/loess packed soil without heavy equipment I cannot bury it that far. My tiller will go down a little ways. Sand from experience with this soil will mix with this type of soil and turn it into almost a cement. I hate scooping kitty litter and am not the best at keeping up with my cat's box daily so am planning on using a deep litter method that I can also use for compost in my gardens.

 

[brisbanebatman]

I see...
how will you keep the raccoons from digging under the fence line?

 

[jeria]

1/2 hardware cloth extending out 2 feet an 3 foot welded rabbit wire layered on that with the smaller size openings on the outside edge

 

[brisbanebatman]

Sounds good
Best of luck

 

[Kiki]

Whoa, stop!
You call that a slope?
That's level enough. No need to level it, don't waste your strength.

Since you are raising the coop, just make sure the horizontal beams of the floor are level

^That is exactly what I just thought!
lol

 

[jeria]

LOL I know not a huge slope. It's about a foot difference from the higher side to the lowest in the 10 foot span. That for me would be a huge challenge for building. the photo had about 15 bags of dirt added and I've dumped in more. I'm using metal fence/ deck supports that go 3 foot deep for the corner posts of the coop and run. 4 are now pounded in for the coop. Might be overkill but I don't want it tipped over in a storm and seemed easier than doing holes with cement and setting posts in.

Horny Rooster, that is pretty much what I'm doing as well to compensate for the sloping. Will post some photos as the weekend goes on.

 

[barred2rock]

I live on the side of a mountain, as you can imagine nothing's flat. Once a week or so I have to rake the bedding from the down hill side back around the rest of the run. It takes no more than five minutes.

ETA: The east side of the run is probably two feet or more higher than the west side. The entire run structure is out of level along with the ground. Looks slightly odd, but I don't think the birds care.

 

[jeria]

ETA: The east side of the run is probably two feet or more higher than the west side. The entire run structure is out of level along with the ground. Looks slightly odd, but I don't think the birds care.[/QUOTE]

LOL yup birds don't care. Working on it today, Mine I am certain will also be a bit crooked as well and maybe more so as it settles. No mountain here but near the top of a river bluff of the Missouri river. I keep telling myself it is a chicken coop it is not a re-do of my kitchen cabinets! It does NOT have to be perfect.

 

[brisbanebatman]

Careful, today's birds are sophisticated, they know how to use the Internet, & they will find a law firm if they've been injured by a non-flat chicken run. LOL!