Outside Skirting … is this ok?

[ChaosMom]

Best to use smaller stones to predators think they can dig through them. The idea is to lure predators to dig right at the wall of your coop, and run into your apron on the ground, and not be able to dig farther. If you cover the metal apron up with really large river rocks that they know they can't dig through, they'll back up from the coop before starting to dig, bypass the apron (because it's covered in large rocks) and get into your coop. So I cover my apron with mulch, or let grass grow through and weed eat/cut the grass that grows through. You want to trick the predator into thinking whenever it tries to dig into your coop it can't get through, and eventually it will give up.

Hi all, I’m bumping this older thread because we’re wrapping up (literally) the construction of our 8’Dx15’Wx7’H aviary/ run. All four walls and the ceiling are being wrapped in 19 gauge 1/2” hardware cloth (HWC), but not the base, which is dirt.

I’m extending an apron of the same HWC 18” or more outward from the 2x8 skirting board that wraps the bottom of the walls on all four sides, including the overlapping corners. I want to thank @FunClucks (and others) for explaining that rats and other predators start digging their holes at the perceived obstacle (the base of the run walls), which is why the apron works. By not burying it under large rocks, pavers etc., they are lured into digging where they will immediately hit the HWC and be discouraged, which is marvelously clever (and makes sense.)

Two questions:
(1) At what angle ideally should the apron come out from the walls? I’ve read don’t bury at all, but just bend it outward 90°, lay it on the surface, and cover with some gravel or mulch; dig down 2”, lift the sod, bury the HWC, and replace the sod; angle down 45° away from the wall (ugh); or dig straight down 18+ inches - let me chat with you about fertile but heavy clay!

(2) I had planned to pile up some soil 4” deep or so (not dig down) along the outside perimeter of the run to plant shallow-rooted annuals, like marigolds, zinnias, and cosmos. (Any deeper roots can go through the HWC mesh.) Is this still doable in the presence of the apron? Does it change your recommendation in any way?

I’d love to see a solid recommendation for best practices on this apron thing. My concern is rats and raccoons. I’ve never seen either, but this is the first time for chickens here, and we’re in the city, so I know perfectly well that they’re there.

Edit to add: and oh yes, I’m anchoring the HWC apron to the ground and to adjoining pieces with metal landscape staples.

 

[FunClucks]

Hi all, I’m bumping this older thread because we’re wrapping up (literally) the construction of our 8’Dx15’Wx7’H aviary/ run. All four walls and the ceiling are being wrapped in 19 gauge 1/2” hardware cloth (HWC), but not the base, which is dirt.

I’m extending an apron of the same HWC 18” or more outward from the 2x8 skirting board that wraps the bottom of the walls on all four sides, including the overlapping corners. I want to thank @FunClucks (and others) for explaining that rats and other predators start digging their holes at the perceived obstacle (the base of the run walls), which is why the apron works. By not burying it under large rocks, pavers etc., they are lured into digging where they will immediately hit the HWC and be discouraged, which is marvelously clever (and makes sense.)

Two questions:
(1) At what angle ideally should the apron come out from the walls? I’ve read don’t bury at all, but just bend it outward 90°, lay it on the surface, and cover with some gravel or mulch; dig down 2”, lift the sod, bury the HWC, and replace the sod; angle down 45° away from the wall (ugh); or dig straight down 18+ inches - let me chat with you about fertile but heavy clay!

(2) I had planned to pile up some soil 4” deep or so (not dig down) along the outside perimeter of the run to plant shallow-rooted annuals, like marigolds, zinnias, and cosmos. (Any deeper roots can go through the HWC mesh.) Is this still doable in the presence of the apron? Does it change your recommendation in any way?

I’d love to see a solid recommendation for best practices on this apron thing. My concern is rats and raccoons. I’ve never seen either, but this is the first time for chickens here, and we’re in the city, so I know perfectly well that they’re there.

Edit to add: and oh yes, I’m anchoring the HWC apron to the ground and to adjoining pieces with metal landscape staples.

1 - Do what works best for your soil and what you like best. Personal inclination is really your guide. All these ways can work. Things to recall - hardware cloth will eventually rust, after about maybe ten years or so in damp moist clay (alabama) I'll be replacing mine, as I expect that's when it will start getting weak spots maybe. Could last longer? Don't know. But rust will eventually win, especially when buried in wet ground. I put my 3 ft apron on top, secured with landscape stakes, and scattered a thin layer of mulch on top so I could track where the predators were digging - it's been a great way to see how much predator attention my run is getting and where to aim my cameras in the night (if my cameras worked but that's another story). I inspect in the morning, note predator attacks, smooth out the mulch, and inspect again later.

2 - grass will grow thru and you can mow if it's laid flat to the ground and secured. You can plant plants that grow thru it. If you put a tarp that gives you a covered walkway around your run, it will keep the area dryer and plants may not grow well (like I did). I wouldn't bother piling soil up to plant anything, they should grow thru just fine. Personally, I like to inspect the condition of my hardware cloth, and if it's buried in dirt, that's a lot harder. Also consider planters you can move instead of growing directly in dirt, if that doesn't go so well.

Good luck - try what you think would be best, and see how it goes. Everyone's solution to these questions is different.

Best deterrent for rats and raccoons is a run/coop totally enclosed with hardware cloth, locked with carabiners (to deter racoons, I use tri-act-lock because I overdo it but that makes me most comfortable), keep all gaps around doors etc into the run/coop to 1/2" or less and keep doors closed unless you're actively using them, and keep an eye out for folks trying to burrow under hardware cloth.

 

[ChaosMom]

Thanks, a wonderful (further) explanation! You've put my mind at ease.