Mesh predator apron being REALLY HARD to do

[blackdog043]

So if you need 1/2 inch mesh predator apron, then everything else had better be 1/5 inch mesh or smaller.

@Celticdragonfly has 1/2" all over her great looking coop and run. It will be well worth all the cuts and aggravation putting down a 1/2" HWC apron in the end.

That's exactly what my whole coop and run are made out of, 1/2" HWC. My coop and run are open 24/7, I sleep well at night, go on vacation for a week at a time, don't worry about them and nobody has to come and let them out or lock them up at night.

 

[gtaus]

...That's exactly what my whole coop and run are made out of, 1/2" HWC. My coop and run are open 24/7, I sleep well at night, go on vacation for a week at a time, don't worry about them and nobody has to come and let them out or lock them up at night....

I haven't even built my cop and run yet, but already like yours better! Very nice.

I can't let my chickens free range because I live on a lake and we have lots of hawks and bald eagles overhead. But I do plan on having a fenced in pasture with bird netting on top to protect my chickens. Too many people here who have tried to have free range chickens find themselves former owners of chickens.....

 

[Shadie77]

Half inch hardware cloth is a royal pain to put on the coop and run but will be worth it when you are done. We have it under the run and going 15" up the sides of the chain link. Then we put it across the top of the run and around all corners and over any gaps where the fence poles meet. We used hog rings to attach it to itself and the chain link. My husband says it was a nightmare to do but is confident the enclosure is very secure. It took us about 3 weeks to do, and it surely tested his love for me! He got over it though and is now helping me fab up a false front to put up to make it all look "cute". Lol this picture shows getting the ground covered with hardware cloth. We both sleep better knowing we did all we could to keep the Bob cats, racoon's, fox, coyote, and other animals out of the run and coop. We even put it behind the hardware cloth that came on the coop for extra safety. : ^

 

[spiritpots]

I can totally relate to how you and your husband are feeling. I built my coop and run by myself but attaching the 1/2" hardware cloth everywhere, including burying an apron around the entire coop and run, was probably the most challenging part. It took forever to cut each pieced with a tin snips and it seemed like I would never be done! I live on a very wooded property with predators of all sizes so I attached the hardware cloth with fender washers and screws placed close together. I attached the buried hardware cloth for the apron to the wood timbers at ground level.

Since everything is very secure (including double locks on the doors) I also don't close the coop pop door at night unless there is a storm or it drops below zero in the winter. The girls can come and go as they please and don't have to wait for me to let them out in the morning. I never worry about them at all. Hang in there and good luck!

 

[WELDON99]

OK, my 2 cents! Sounds like you live inside city limits if it has to be inspected. Shouldn't really have a huge problem with predators bothering your girls. I live in the country, in a huge forest area and the only problem I had in the last 4 years was a snake (cotton mouth, now deceased!) about 2 weeks ago. It got to my Brahma Roo as he was defending his ladies. I do have a couple of dogs and several cats that stay outside and I think they keep most predators away. I have covered my cages with standard chicken wire and the only apron I've laid is a 2"x8" board all around the coops and runs. I have 6 runs/coops altogether with 43 chickens in various ages. As I said before, I've had no problems!

 

[ellend]

You are doing well, researching your info. Sometimes it's misleading and that sucks. Re: asparagus, it could never grow in a swamp! Someone saw horsetail fern ("scouring rush") and thought it was asparagus. When seeking info, try to go to the most professional source. For asparagus, that would be asparagus growers. For human medical issues, the Mayo Clinic or Johns Hopkins University or other institutions' sites, or LARGE advocacy groups like those for Arthritis, Lupus, Muscular Dystrophy, etc., not little sites with no serious credibility or research experience. Backyard Chickens is an excellent resource, but we posters are only human. LOTS of people extrapolate: Example: Chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) is an excellent antibacterial soap. Used in operating rooms all over the country. Therefor, a poster recommended it's use on a hen's prolapsed vent tissue. Seems logical, but: Chlorhexidine should Never be used on skin that is not intact, and NEVER, EVER on mucous membrane tissue or eyes. It is absorbed into the bloodstream if used on open or mucous tissues, and would damage the cornea of the eye. Iodophor prep (Betadine) is used on non-intact skin and mucous membranes, Opthalamic Betadine ONLY, not regular, is used around eyes. If a patient is allergic to iodine, baby shampoo is substituted. So, before using any product on advice from one of us, check it out carefully at sites specifically about the product, such as the manufacturer's instructions.
Wire: depends on which predators / opportunists you have in your locale. I live in a major city; we don't have weasels, so I don't need 1/4 x 1/4. Rats, yes. So for an apron I would need 1/2 x 1", poultry WIRE (as opposed to poultry netting, which is easily bendable and people use in their gardens frequently.) I'd bury the apron fairly deep, as you don't want the rodent (or other) to start digging at the edge of the wire and tunnel right underneath it. You want them to try tunneling RIGHT at the coop edge, and promptly run into wire. BTW; patio blocks used on the ground,instead of wire, are not effective for tunnelers: they tunnel right under them. I use the 1/2 x 1" mesh for the walls of my coop so raccoons can't reach in and pull chicken parts through the wires, and poultry netting on top, since my tops must be lightweight panels we can lift, and also cats and other animals don't like to walk on wire that "gives" a bit when they step on it.
I'm sorry about your and DH's frustration. You can only do the best you can. Your inspector will only be concerned about distance from property lines, potential runoff water issues, and minimum square footage per bird and number of birds permitted by your locale. As long as your chickens have adequate shelter, they're not going to go as far as assessing your apron.
Good luck to you, and enjoy those babies. You ARE going to lose some over time to various causes, so start reminding yourself now that life is fleeting, and the best should be made of the time you have with them. Quality of life is not measured by how long we live.

 

[ellend]

I live in the city, too, and the only predator problems I've lost anything to is one to rats, and several to hawks when the bantams were free in the (6' privacy fenced) back yard. A cat almost took one, but I and the dogs scared it off.
City life does not mean no predators, though. ALL cities have raccoons and opposums, rats, and hawks and cats. Loose dogs are a problem for some. Southern and other areas have poisonous snakes. Most cities do have fox and coyote, although most people never see them. Weasels are often found in suburbs. That being said, except for hawks in the early spring and late fall, we haven't had much trouble over the years, as there are no weasels here that can slip through tiny holes.

 

[chickentrunks]

The easiest way to cut cut mesh is with an angle grinder.
A very important tip. Cut mesh away from the coop and run! It doesn't matter how careful you are you are bound to drop tiny pieces of metal on the ground and these may be ingested by a chicken.
Bend the skirting mesh at 90 degrees so that 6 inches or so can be attached to the existing fence leaving the rest lying flat on the floor outside the coop.
Use zip ties to attach the bent up part to the existing fence; a zip tie every six inches.

FYI in case you already cut mesh near the coop/dropped staples in the the coop area, Harbor Freight sells a magnet on wheels... On a stick. It's one of my best purchases. I highly recommend it.

 

[mdquilts]

We just finished our first coop and run and I agree that the apron was made more difficult by a slope. We decided on 1/2” HC after talking to neighbors and friends in our own area about what has worke with the predators we have. Fisher cat got in 2x4 wire and raccoon pulled chickens through was what they had happen. Plus hawks overhead. When we got inspection she said she would like to live there and didn’t even bother checking much out other than basics. Just a few days ago our friendly fox finally came to check things out. I’m glad we overdid our safety measures! To deal with the slope we just put HC down lower then covered with another board. I also put big stones and areas of brick around the perimeter mostly for looks but also keeps the wire stable underneath.

 

[spiritpots]

We just finished our first coop and run and I agree that the apron was made more difficult by a slope. We decided on 1/2” HC after talking to neighbors and friends in our own area about what has worke with the predators we have. Fisher cat got in 2x4 wire and raccoon pulled chickens through was what they had happen. Plus hawks overhead. When we got inspection she said she would like to live there and didn’t even bother checking much out other than basics. Just a few days ago our friendly fox finally came to check things out. I’m glad we overdid our safety measures! To deal with the slope we just put HC down lower then covered with another board. I also put big stones and areas of brick around the perimeter mostly for looks but also keeps the wire stable underneath.

Nice! I love the low lock for your your helper!