Pens and wire skirts.

[Shuggiesmom]

I've seen a lot lately on putting a wire skirt around the pen but they don't mention it should extend 18"+ on the ground and on the OUTSIDE of the pen and not on the inside. My neighbor put it on the inside and it did NO good. Foxes are smart, but they don't think about digging 18" away from the pen frame. If you really want to do it right, put is underground a couple of inches and put dirt or gravel over it. 1" hardware cloth is great for the whole pen and also to use for the skirt. Reason for the hard wire cloth is it keeps birds out that carry mites and germs and also if a hen is sleeping close to the chicken wire pen, a raccoon can easily reach in to get her, can't pull her out, but can sure hurt her especially on the neck and head. It also keeps larger snakes out. Raccoons can even undo most hooks so be sure to use a latch they cannot work loose.

 

[Howard E]

I might modify your advice slightly to suggest that what you put on the upright fence section might differ from what you put on the ground.

The ground portion.....or horizontal apron......can be laid flat on the bare ground.....and pinned into place. No need to bury it. Probably counter productive if you do....certainly 10X more work if you do....work that isn't needed......PLUS, the apron section needs to be made of sturdy stuff......something on the order of 1" x 2" 14 gauge welded wire.....heavily galvanized. The enemy here is not the animals, but corrosion of the wire. When in constant contact with the ground, especially near nitrogen rich poultry manure, the wire is going to rust out PDQ. Chicken wire might be gone in a single season.

And again for those who don't understand the concept, digging animals usually start their dig at the crotch of the upright wire or fence section and horizontal wire apron. So it helps to modify the horizontal apron part to include a short upright section (about 6 inches or so) of wire that you attach to the upright fence. Bend your 24" section of apron to include a short 90 degree L that you attach to the upright wire.

That way, when the animal starts it's dig, it will immediately hit the wire and be defeated. It may cast up and down the wall trying new digs, but always the same result. Hits the wire......perhaps gets a toenail ripped off when it does......and gives up. The animals (rats being the exception) are not smart enough to back up a few feet and start their dig way out there to tunnel their way in.

 

[cmom]

I dug a trench a foot deep and buried the wire and used hog rings to attach it to the bottom of the fence. So far so good. I see a fox most every night lately on at least one of my game cameras.