How many bricks under run?

[Spinster_Sister]

Well I found out my home city allows hens on residental property...soo....I have a 5'x15' run and want to line the open bottom with bricks. How deep should I place the bricks? I am lining the lower 4' of the run with hardware cloth , should I place a liner of hardware cloth over the bricks then add some soil and top off with sand? I am sure I am on overkill, but I am so happy that my dream of chickens have come true!

 

[patandchickens]

What is the reason for the bricks? I do not think they will do you a service. They will not do all that much in the way of predatorproofing, not even against rats, and more importantly they will interfere with water draining down out of your run soil, and you don't want your run any damper for any longer than is avoidable.

If you are concerned about rats, I would suggest burying 1/4" hardwarecloth under the entire floor of the run, with EXCEPTIONALLY TIGHT carpentry and NO GROUND-LEVEL WOOD LEFT UNSHEATHED WITH 1/4" hardwarecloth.

Then I would suggest putting at LEAST 8" of run footing material on top of that -- sand, a sand/dirt mix, whatever -- so the chickens have plenty of stuff to scratch and dig in, without encountering the wire and being frustrated or hurting their feet.

JMHO, good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[elmo]

Wow, that seems to me like alot of work and expense to put bricks under your run and then have to put sand on top to give the chickens something to scratch in. To deter predators from digging into a run, many people (myself, included) build a hardware cloth apron flat on the ground all around the perimiter of the run.

 

[Spinster_Sister]

Thank you for your replies. I thought I might be a little over the edge when it comes to predator proofing - I just want to make sure they are as safe as possible. My girls just left my house several days ago and I think I'm taking it harder than they are at times. I have a 50' roll of 48" wide - 1/4th hardware cloth waiting to be used. How do you attach or connect the pieces of hardware cloth together to make the apron?

Thanks again!

 

[Texasboy4ever]

When I build my coop and runs, I bury the wire or metal around the coop 1 foot in the ground, so far that has kept everthing out except rats. They still can tunnel under at that depth. But it does keep out foxes, coyotes, racoons and other small animals.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

How do you attach or connect the pieces of hardware cloth together to make the apron?

The easiest way is nail a board around the bottom, and staple it.
Next would be to use hog rings or "J" clips to attach it to the run​