"Knee Wall" for protection from racoons?

[inohio]

I am working on a run area. Some walls are going to be solid, but the non solid walls are 2x4 welded wire. I was thinking about running a knee wall around the inside, at least 6 inches from the outside wire, to keep the birds from coming within grabbing distance of any racoons. Has anyone ever tried this? Does anyone have a good guess as to how far a racoon can reach?

Imagine a 12' x 18' run space. 2 walls are solid wood. The other 2 walls have 2x4 welded wire that is on wood 4x4 posts with 2x6 wood top and bottom (that wire is sandwiched/nailed between two pieced of wood). Inside that, there is a second chicken wire wall, only intended to be strong enough to keep the chickens away from the outside wire.

I definitely have racoons in the area.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[jamband]

Why not just add more wire to make the spacing so a coon can't reach through? 1/2 hardware cloth would work and def cheaper than building walls that will look weird.

 

[itom37]

Quote:
x2

 

[Yashar]

Just had 3 chicks get their heads pulled off though the 1 inch chicken wire night before last. I had changed things around in the run and they decided to sleep against the fence. I thought I had gotten them at a safe distance after dark, but I seems they must have shifted in the night or the nasty coon reached farther than I thought. I had the idea of lining the inside of the 1 inch wire about to a height of 1 1/2 to 2 feet with the 1/2 hardware cloth. That wily bugger couldn't get his paws though that it seems. What do you think about that? Or even a tarp cut and attached would do the job while the chick are still figuring out where they are supposed to sleep.

 

[RWD]

On all the coops that we build, we have a solid 24" bottom on all outside walls. It discourages digging, because each time the predator starts digging it looses site of the prey. Also it keeps anything from reaching in.

 

[inohio]

I'm trying to work with what I already have on hand. I guess I'll look around for materials to go with the solid wall at the bottom instead. Like someone posted above, they can still get through the 1x1, at least enough to injure the chickens.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

24-36" solid bottom is always a good choice at ground level. Hardware cloth is also a good choice at ground level going up to stop reach ins.