Predator Apron on the inside of the run???

[BluebirdHomestead]

Is it a dumb idea to do a predator apron on the inside of a chicken run?? The way my space is set up, there brush and trees on the outside of the run fence and it would be impossible to lay an apron on the outside. I’d dig down and bury the fence but the fence is already there, so that sort of adds an element. Thoughts?? Wwyd? I’m in Colorado.

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

Here’s a photo for reference. I’ll be adding fencing where the red line is, and the coop will be at the back. I’ll be utilizing the 3 existing sides of fence, but adding hardware cloth to the bottom 3-4’. I want to make the new side of fencing about 6’. It’ll slant down and I’ll add bird netting to the top.

 

[Punkybrewster]

In the past i have lined the whole bottom of the run with chicken wire weighing it down with rocks and logs until it was "absorbed" into the ground over time. Never had a predator get in that way. Years later and its still intact.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Just the apron won't do you any good. The predator will just tunnel underneath until it gets into the run. The reason an apron works when facing outward is because the predator tries to dig down where it meets the wall of the run, and finds that it can't. It doesn't know to go back and find the edge of the apron. If the apron faces inward, the predator digs down at the wall no problem.

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

Just the apron won't do you any good. The predator will just tunnel underneath until it gets into the run. The reason an apron works when facing outward is because the predator tries to dig down where it meets the wall of the run, and finds that it can't. It doesn't know to go back and find the edge of the apron. If the apron faces inward, the predator digs down at the wall no problem.

Yeah that’s kinda what I was thinking and figured. Back to the drawing board.

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

Ok plan b...would electric poultry netting discourage diggers? Because they’d in theory get zapped on the nose while trying to dig?

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

In the past i have lined the whole bottom of the run with chicken wire weighing it down with rocks and logs until it was "absorbed" into the ground over time. Never had a predator get in that way. Years later and its still intact.

Yeah that’s definitely a possibility. It’ll just be so much wire...the run is 16’ x 62’ ...

 

[Fishkeeper]

Electric netting can't touch the ground because that, well, grounds it, and touching grass or weeds both does that and risks fires. I think you'd have to put it up high enough that a clever predator could duck under it.

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

Electric netting can't touch the ground because that, well, grounds it, and touching grass or weeds both does that and risks fires. I think you'd have to put it up high enough that a clever predator could duck under it.

The bottom wires on electric poultry netting isn’t hot so that it doesn’t short when touching the ground.

 

[aart]

Yeah that’s definitely a possibility. It’ll just be so much wire...the run is 16’ x 62’ ...

Plus not good for chicken feet, IMO.

Can you remove the brush outside that fence?
Hot wire along bottom of that section might work.