Is it better to apron a run or to bury the fencing?

[lepfab1]

Could someone show me some good pictures of aprons for my newly built chicken pen.

 

[JACC0811]

perchie.girl :

I just read up on Wikipedia on Groundhogs... we dont have them here. They are much like squirrels in what they eat so if they did get in the coop they would just be going after the feed. Very interesting critters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog

I think their digging might be more of a problem for your barn. You might talk to some wild live management agency and see if they are relocatable.... You know... Live trap... We have Ground Squirrels here and OMG they can completely collaps a concrete porch.

Thank you! You know, this groundhog has been under our barn since we moved here, and I had always been under the impression they were more apt to eat small animals instead of vegetation. Don't know why, but I did. I never thought or bothered to research them lol.​

 

[chickiepie]

Groundhogs are some of the most annoying creatures on earth, if you ask me! However, since they are vegetarians I think they will stay away from chickens. They will, however, decimate a garden in a matter of minutes. What about skunks? Will they dig? I know they will kill chickens if they can get a hold of them.

 

[andythescot]

Quote:
Once while I was away on a trip my "chicken sitter" told me that a skunk got in the run, by squeezing his way through the fencing.. But I took care of that issue.

Thanks everyone! I think I'm gonna wind up doing the apron, and then plant stuff over it on the sides, and in the front I'll be building a walkway, so the apron will have oyster shells covering it. I figure the oyster shells will keep the mud down, but the chickens can also pick at them!

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Once while I was away on a trip my "chicken sitter" told me that a skunk got in the run, by squeezing his way through the fencing.. But I took care of that issue.

Thanks everyone! I think I'm gonna wind up doing the apron, and then plant stuff over it on the sides, and in the front I'll be building a walkway, so the apron will have oyster shells covering it. I figure the oyster shells will keep the mud down, but the chickens can also pick at them!

Ooh good idea. I have used cobble stones too for a dog that was a digger. someone also mentioned stepping stones too. I like the idea of having a walkway along the coop run area.

 

[yuanyelss]

I hope there is always going a little bit of edge apron fencing. Thus, it can not only prevent digging plug, you can also prevent loss of control of small chicks, and to prevent the arrival in the raccoon, etc...

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Agreed

...Oh and

I am learning sooo much.

 

[yuanyelss]

I bury my fence, because I do not like to see the wire curtains, but I know that the curtains are also very effective in the prevention of mining plug-ins.

 

[haejungkim]

How do you deal with the corners where the hardware cloth doesnt connect with another piece of hardware cloth?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I overlap the hardware cloth on outer corners to keep the apron going all the way around. You can either cut an extra piece of hardware cloth that's big enough to overlap the corner of the apron (so if your apron is 2' wide you'd need a piece a little over 2x2 so when you staple/nail it down the anchors cover the overlap of the apron sections) or you can stop at each corner, leaving enough overhang so that the apron will overlap (again if your apron is 2' wide, when you "end" at a corner you will want to go out an additional 2', and cut there. Then cut the wire horizontally near the ground so that the part going around the fence overlaps the next section, and the apron part overlaps the apron for the next section. Secure the top part to the fence, and anchor down apron.)

I did the second one as I feel it's a little more secure with the extra few feet of hardware cloth, and the fact that the corner isn't a completely separate piece.