New coop....can chicks dig out?

[stina3246]

Here is our new coop, not quite done yet.
For now it is a 10'x20' section of yard and it is 4 ft tall. My chicks are about 4 weeks old now. About 1/2 is under what WILL be the actual coop, the large wooden structure you see but for now they will have the run so they can have sun and shade. We still need to add a door and a netting roof to keep hawks out and chicks in. Eventually we will finish it to include a ramp up to the top which will be completely enclosed but until then I'll put a large dog kennel underneath. I will most likely take them in at night until they are older.
My question is....There is a tiny 1 inch gap (Shown in the photos) from the ground the the bottom of the chicken wire in some areas. (Not all the way around, most of it touches the ground) but can chickens dig or squeeze under and get out? The picture makes the gap look much bigger then it is. It really is only about 1 to 1 1/2 inches high.


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[nelgkel]

I myself, would not be comfortable with that...you can stake it to the ground.. Do you have predators to be concerned about??

 

[stina3246]

Quote:
The biggest fear would be from hawks which is why we'll have a netting over the top. Although racoons have been spotted occasionally. I wondered if they made stakes or something to tack it to the ground. I was also thinking about just putting 2x4s all the way around.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I'm not comfortable with the bottom either. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing that my fencing was left that way. Too many predators can dig under that and get in and get your chickens. I wouldn't worry about chicks digging out. The question is........what will dig in?

 

[Fort Orpington]

It's amazing what chicks will fit through. I'd be worried.

 

[Zahboo]

Can you get some scrap board attach to the legs, tack the wire to it and then bury the board where just the top shows?

 

[stina3246]

Quote:
That's probably what we'll end up doing. I wouldn't be able to leave the house if I thought something bad could happen to them.

 

[CityChook]

Looks pretty inviting to anything that wants to just lift up the wire and let themselves in. I wouldn't be too comfortable with it.
PS - My chickens like to dustbathe at the edges of their run and I swear that they are trying to get to China some of those holes are so deep.

 

[tammyd57]

Chickens can dig out amazingly fast! Mine like to dustbathe in the corner where the post is that their gate is hung on. In about 2 days they had that hole dug so deep the post was leaning over and I couldn't open their gate! And that post is concreted into the ground. I had to fill the hole with bricks to get the post to stay upright and keep them from digging it out again. Almost all of the perimeter of their pen is lined with large rocks, concrete chunks and bricks to prevent digging out. It doesn't look great, but keeps them in.
Raccoons could easily get into your pen and get your chickens, and raccoons don't stick to nighttime hours either.

 

[Backyard_Chicken_rancher]

2 words TENT STAKES

Yes they will get under it mine pushed and pushed till they found out it will move just enough thankfuly it was in the coop but the answer is yes they can get under it and more important is something can get in say like a mouce or better still a snake so you do the math.

Chicken wire keeps them in but it don't keep things out and lately it isnt doing such a good job at keeping them in either lol