How level does the ground need to be?

[SueAndHerZoo]

We will soon be assembling the coop and run and my husband's obsession and concern is with getting the land perfectl flat before we begin. It's just a slight incline, hardly noticeable, but since we're both OCD about that type of thing, he's thinking of spending a day digging up the higher area and putting the dirt on the slightly lower area. Even considered borrowing a friend's backhoe which I REALLY don't think is necessary (it will delay this project by weeks).

The concern is that if the ground is slightly higher on one side than the other there will be gaps under the fencing. Does it really need to be perfectly flat, or can I fill any gaps or holes with rocks or hardware cloth or other obstructions? I'm off to stare closely at others' photos and set ups but hoping we can ease up a bit on the "perfection" part of the leveling.
Sue

 

[2ndTink]

Our whole yard is on a slight slope, we did a little digging (super hard clay, didn't work well...) so ended up filling in the low side with pressure treated lumber. You could use lumber, rocks, or hardware cloth on any gaps!

 

[Krugerrand]

I dug and leveled the ground for my above ground coop. I did a frameless hoop structure for the run. My hoop run was not leveled.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

What is your climate like, and what is your predator load? It's very wet here (SE MO) and I have kicked myself for not leveling, tamping and even putting down a concrete pad. My coop no longer sets level and I can feel the slope when I walk in there. I don't like it but it's too late to fix it. Also, I have struggled to make sure no predators (snakes, rats, mice, SKUNKS) can get underneath it even though it sits on the ground. Snakes are the worst for me. Just some things for you to consider. As always, good luck!

 

[Krugerrand]

A lot depends on what you coop is like. Most coops get pretty big. For that weight to sit properly, the foundation needs to level. Otherwise, things will start to shift and crack. Pictures of the ground, coop/plans might help.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

A lot depends on what you coop is like. Most coops get pretty big. For that weight to sit properly, the foundation needs to level. Otherwise, things will start to shift and crack. Pictures of the ground, coop/plans might help.

Exactly! My coop door does not fit tightly any more. This is a big problem in the winter, when ice and snow builds up in the crack and I can't shut the door properly. Even when it rains, the door swells. It's a problem! Build as well as you can, you won't regret it.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Agreed, it really depends on what type of coop you're building. We've never bothered to level the ground, but we've always had elevated coops. With our latest coop we built it inside the garage so we didn't have to level it either. We've never bothered to level the run, if there's a low area we just block it off

 

[2ndTink]

Good point, my coops are level, the runs we level the best we can and run 2x4s or 4x4s under them on the low sides.

 

[aart]

assembling the coop

@SueAndHerZoo what kind of coop are you using?
Pics, or links, of that....along wth pics of the proposed site would certainly help garner some viable suggestions.

Oh, and...Welcome to BYC!
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

Here's the coop and run, I'll get pictures of the area in a few minutes. The ground is crazy hard to dig in.... rocks and TREE ROOTS!

I'm in central CT so hot summers, cold winters, average rainfall. We have woods behind the chainlink fence so there's wildlife back there. It's not a lot of wooded area but enough that we've heard coyotes/fox and saw a coyote walking down the street in front of the house last week, so they're around. I have 3 dogs which will keep them away during the day, but once we're all in bed I'm afraid the animals will be making their rounds.