Mesh Buried Underneath Run

[aart]

My thoughts are that this would improve general drainage around the coop

If you have drainage problems, digging a hole and filling it with rocks is not going to take care of it. Nothing worse than a hole filled with water, rock, and chicken poop.
Better to deal with it on the surface by keeping run off water away from coop with gutters, slopes, swales, berms, etc.
Posting some pics of the area might help garner any drainage issues you have.

Apron around the outside of coop/run are the best way to deter diggers.
Good examples of anti-dig apron installation.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/wire-around-coop.1110498/#post-17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208


Oh, and..... Welcome to BYC! @IslandChickens12356
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!

 

[IslandChickens12356]

If you have drainage problems, digging a hole and filling it with rocks is not going to take care of it. Nothing worse than a hole filled with water, rock, and chicken poop.
Better to deal with it on the surface by keeping run off water away from coop with gutters, slopes, swales, berms, etc.
Posting some pics of the area might help garner any drainage issues you have.

Apron around the outside of coop/run are the best way to deter diggers.
Good examples of anti-dig apron installation.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/wire-around-coop.1110498/#post-17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208


Oh, and..... Welcome to BYC! @IslandChickens12356
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!
View attachment 2337933

Thanks for the reply! Just added my location (Massachusetts).

As for drainage, the bottom of the run is going to be around 7-8 inches of wood chips in the main portion, and then sand/dirt in the area underneath the coop (4'x4'x2'). That should be enough for them to be able to have a dust bath, and also have any water drain away. With the 1 foot trench of rocks around the coop (I'm just trying to spread around the rock pile we currently have), I'm not too concerned with drainage, as the "dirt" in my yard around the coop is mainly sand. I have never seen any standing water in my yard.

I'll add pictures tomorrow; the design that I more or less followed was the Simple Suburban Coop (http://www.simplesuburbanliving.com/2016/03/how-to-build-simple-suburban-chicken.html).

 

[IslandChickens12356]

As promised, here's a picture of the coop. I'll try and describe it as succinctly as possible:
4'x8' run, 4'x4' coop, raised 8" on cinder blocks. 2"x4" mesh extended ~1.5' from the base with a 1'x1' rock filled trench around the entire base; waiting on 1/4" mesh to cover the rest.

Should I get cinder blocks to line the entire bottom, or do you think anything small enough to crawl in will be eaten by the chickens?

Edit: I bought more cinder blocks to line the bottom, definitely worth the extra cost. I also flipped them so the holes are facing upward on all corners. Will upload final build photo.