New Run: Hardware Cloth Perimeter or Floor?

[BurbChickensMA]

We are refitting a garden shed to become a chicken run. We built an 8’x10’ run attached to the shed that currently has a dirt floor.

Question: to predator proof the run which is better
1) 24” hardware cloth around the perimeter buried under pea gravel

2) line the entire floor of the run with hardware cloth and cover with pea gravel? We plan to use pea gravel as the floor material in any case to reduce mud and mess.

Included a picture of our run in progress for perspective

Thanks for your help

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

I would just build an apron (perimeter). Chickens like to scratch the ground and do chicken things, hw cloth on the bottom would prevent that from happening.

 

[nminusyplusm]

Welcome to BYC! That's a really nice run!
Use hardware cloth on the outside not the inside. Inside would be hard on their toes when they scratch.

And they love to scratch Deep Litter in the run, so no pea gravel.

 

[BurbChickensMA]

Thanks both. Is 2’ the correct perimeter hardware cloth around or is that overkill and 1’ would be sufficient around the outside of the entire run? Then cover the perimeter wire with mulch or gravel?

 

[Toothpick]

Hardware cloth the perimeter gets my vote. 1’ would be sufficient, but I’ve never seen 1’ rolls of it. Get the 2 foot and do 1 foot up the side of the run and 1 foot on the ground. If you are not going to burry the hardware cloth around the perimeter I would go with mulch. Gravel could get kicked in to your yard and then you’d have to mow over rocks. You should really consider putting the hardware cloth under ground a couple inches though.

 

[Acre4Me]

Chickens like to scratch, BUT, if you are dealing with wet/soggy ground then you should add pea gravel when the ground is DRY. If you add when wet, then the gravel just becomes one with the mud. My neighbor had a dirt floor to his run, but said it was too muddy when chickens scratched around (mud everywhere, muddy eggs, he was tired of the mess). He added gravel to the entire run, several inches of it - his run looks similar in size to yours. Then he adds straw, etc for his chickens to scratch in - tosses in an occasional handful of scratch mix for them to hunt down.

Also, if you are putting in HWC for the perimeter of the run, and it will be below the ground or exposed to wet, then you should go with a heavier gauge wire to last longer. Fairly easy to find 16 gauge wire which is thicker than the more common 19 gauge. 14 gauge is even heavier, but this is hard to find in an urban area - you might find it in a farm store or online. Good Luck!

 

[jthornton]

If your having grass outside the run just lay it on the ground and let the grass grow up through it and watch it disappear from sight. You might pin it down with landscape pins until the grass covers it up. No need to bury the perimeter fencing if it is outside the chicken area. Why give the digger some confidence that it can get in by allowing it to dig down a ways... diggers come up to the obstruction (wall) and dig at the base of the obstruction... they are not smart enough to back up a foot or two and try to go under the perimeter fencing.

JT

 

[8081808]

I noticed your run is raised on some blocks. Do you plan to keep it like that?

 

[nminusyplusm]

As long as the run isn't built in a location with a bad drainage problem, deep litter will keep the run from getting muddy much better than gravel.

 

[aart]

Good examples of apron installation, tho I'd not recommend 1/2" HC...go with 14ga 1x2 or 1x1, will hold up much longer and is easier to lay flat.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1110498/wire-around-coop#post_17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208