Of hardware cloth & weld wire & short cuts...

[Ted Brown]

My apron comes out about 2 ft and is pinned to the ground with landscape staples .

Ditto landscape staples.

Originally i used 16" apron strips hog tied to the HC walls; no issues until the 6th (this) year.

New 1/2" x 1" 16 gauge is 18" wide but the "L" is 3" up so close. It works and is 25% less expensive than 24"!!

It has a row of cinder blocks along the edges to make it look like a flower bed and it helps hold it all down. Any diggers get discouraged quickly.

My recent bout with ground hogs was the opposite. They got a taste of feed in the run and tested everywhere for weeks; literally torn rusted HC apart on two occasions and found a weak spot 4' off the ground immediately adjacent to coop on a 3rd. I think I have it locked down at the moment but I have not completed install of new aprons & pressure treated inside...

I wish I'd used PVC to coat it but 16 gauge is expensive .

I am in for several $hundreds.

The apron has held up great so far and doesn't have any rust

Early days my son.

 

[McChooky]

Ditto landscape staples.

Originally i used 16" apron strips hog tied to the HC walls; no issues until the 6th (this) year.

New 1/2" x 1" 16 gauge is 18" wide but the "L" is 3" up so close. It works and is 33% less expensive than 24"!!

My recent bout with ground hogs was the opposite. They got a taste of feed in the run and tested everywhere for weeks; literally torn rusted HC apart on two occasions and found a weak spot 4' off the ground immediately adjacent to coop on a 3rd. I think I have it locked down at the moment but I have not completed install of new aprons & pressure treated inside...

I am in for several $hundreds.

Early days my son.

I had plans to build another coop but my house needs too much work .That didn't stop me from giving my broody some eggs and letting her hatch chicks. She came off the nest with 4 today!

 

[Ted Brown]

Which is the real reason to have chickens!

 

[McChooky]

Spread sulfur around your coop and cover with pea gravel.If ingested or inhaled it'll kill them .The pea gravel is difficult to tunnel thru(wear gloves and a mask when handling it)

 

[Kentuckiana Chicken Lady]

I'm about to spend $400.00 on 18 gauge 3/4" 304 *stainless steel* hardware cloth to avoid this nightmare that I've read so much about. It seems absolutely crazy to spend this much, but I'm not getting any younger and I really don't want to have to deal with having to redo it...

Now to decide if it is better to ask my husband for permission now, or for forgiveness when that credit card bill comes in...

 

[Bawkbok]

I'm about to spend $400.00 on 18 gauge 3/4" 304 *stainless steel* hardware cloth to avoid this nightmare that I've read so much about. It seems absolutely crazy to spend this much, but I'm not getting any younger and I really don't want to have to deal with having to redo it...

Now to decide if it is better to ask my husband for permission now, or for forgiveness when that credit card bill comes in...

Always better to ask for forgiveness later. That way you avoid the potential "no".

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Spread sulfur around your coop and cover with pea gravel.If ingested or inhaled it'll kill them .The pea gravel is difficult to tunnel thru(wear gloves and a mask when handling it)

Is the sulfur toxic to chickens?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Is the sulfur toxic to chickens?

Sorry, dumb question. Apparently it's toxic to everything.

 

[Ted Brown]

Sorry, dumb question. Apparently it's toxic to everything.

I use sulphur in my dust baths & in a mesh bag hung over the pop door, no issues thus far.

"Chickens are generally resistant to sulphur toxicity, with reported tolerance levels up to 14,000 ppm for broilers and 8,100 ppm for laying hens"

"Regular, moderate use in dust baths or as feed additives is typically safe, but excessive exposure or improper handling can lead to toxicosis or poisoning."

 

[amarsano]

I built my run 5+ years ago using telephone poles & 1/2" 1/2" 19 gauge hardware cloth (HC). I used hog rings to attach a horizontal apron to the vertical walls. Worked great!

More than 5 years later I have ground hogs breaking in to get the feed. Breaking in by ripping the HC apart because the welds are rusted, deteriorated from being buried. Only an issue along the bottom where the mesh has been buried.

Also have had issues with hog rings falling off or rusting through. Now using Mechanics Wire and tedious weaving.

I am redoing my aprons using 1/2" by 1“ 16 gauge welded wire bent to an “L" & wired to existing HC. Inside I am lining the bottom perimeter with 2x6 pressure treated vertical against the walls then screws & washers to sandwich mesh to boards.

I berate myself for "not doing it right 1st time“ but suspect I am normal.

I'm having rust out issues, too. I'm using coated hardware cloth, which seems to be holding up better