Pavers- can skunks dig under them?

[estamets]

Planning our run. We have 12"x16" pavers, and we were going to lay those in around the external edge of the run, so they are even with ground level (I think they're 2" thick). We are not planning to line the floor of the run. I think the bottom rail of the run walls will sit at ground level right next to the stones. Will the stones be enough to deter skunks, opossums, and the infrequent raccoon? Should the run walls be sunk 1-2" below ground? Or should the walls sit on top of the pavers?

Looking forward to your experienced input.

 

[llmadigan]

I've read that an 8"-12" wide skirt will deter diggers, so I would think a 12"-16" wide paving stone would do the same. I really hope so anyway, since that's how I'm securing the perimeter of my run. This is my first coop though, so we'll see. Mostly, I'm relying on my coop being totally predator proof. The diggers I'm worried about in my area are nocturnal, so even if they do dig their way into the run, they can't gat to my girls - since they're locked up at night.

I hope you get more responses

 

[PearlGrey]

I wondered this too. Not so much about skunks, but coons, possums and fox.

 

[PearlGrey]

I decided to bury hardware cloth instead of using pavers. Mostly because it's cheaper - my coop has a 50' perimeter, so I'd need fifty square foot pavers. Which is about 75.50. I got fifty feet of 24" hardware cloth for $50.

And also because post-hole diggers give me awesome toned upper arms and I bought a sleeveless tank dress to wear for my 17th wedding anniversary at the end of the month.

I think too that a buried barrier might be more likely to frustrate a wiley coyote than one s/he could see clearly. They are clever little critters. I hope they were all asleep and not watching when I buried the cloth this morning.

This morning I dug out one 12' side to about 2 1/2 feet wide and 6" deep, placed the hardware cloth in the hole, bent up about six inches and stapled it to the wall, then covered the cloth with dirt and replaced the sod. I live in the swamps of SC, and believe me when I say that in two weeks my excavation will be completely furred over and undetectable.

But on the other walls, I'm going to place the hardware cloth on the boards before I affix the battens. Like you, though, I'm not sure if I'd do better to bury the cloth and put the front wall on top of it, or staple the cloth to the bottom of the front wall as I did with the other three. (I'm converting a three-sided run-in shed to a coop, so have three existing walls and one I'm making from scratch.) As with every other farm construction project, I'm learning as I go.

 

[estamets]

I decided to bury hardware cloth instead of using pavers. Mostly because it's cheaper - my coop has a 50' perimeter, so I'd need fifty square foot pavers. Which is about 75.50. I got fifty feet of 24" hardware cloth for $50.

And also because post-hole diggers give me awesome toned upper arms and I bought a sleeveless tank dress to wear for my 17th wedding anniversary at the end of the month.

Keep us updated on how well this works!
We have pavers left over from doing our patio, so for us they are a FREE option! We think it will give the whole structure a nice, finished look, too, and since our yard is fairly small and we entertain often, the aesthetics are important to us.

Hey, and congrats on your wedding anniversary!

 

[PearlGrey]

"Free" stuff is always better! This is why I"m brooding chicks in a dog crate and my younger border collie now has the run of the house during the day.

I will keep everyone updated - I've been taking pictures of the construction as I go just so I can share with BYC when I get finished.

I hope you'll share pictures of your coop and run as well.

One thing I've learned - get at least partway through the build before you go out and buy a dozen chicks. Who get bigger every time I look at them. I feel like I'm racing them to get their house finished before they outgrow mine!

Thanks for the anniversary wishes.