Predator Proofing - NEED HELP PLEASE

[chicks4erin]

We purchased The Garden Coop plans and brother-in-law and hubby have been hard at work putting to together a modified version. We ended up going with the Eglu Cube for our hen house which we'll attach on the side, but we are using the plans to make our walk-in-run. We extended it from 9'6 to 12 wide. I was out running around all way yesterday, came home and boys had dug all the piers and had the structure in place. The problem was that with it being 12' it was too heavy/bulky for them to move it to it's spot and mark the piers and then move it off the spot. Instead, they just took measurements of the base marked where the piers should go and dug/leveled, once all the piers were level, they took apart the coop from our garage and put it back together on piers. In any event, I get home, they are all excited they finished for the day, and I want to cry b/c the piers are all willy-nilly, they aren't flush with the edges of the 2 x 4's. Please take a look at my pix. The base is elevated off the ground a bit, but the frame isn't flush on the edge of the piers, however, the coop is completely level.

How on earth are we going to predator proof this? My original plan was to dig down 12' with the hardware cloth, but now I wonder if that willwork with the edges not being flush, will it? Do you think it would be okay to extend it out the 2', but I'm worried about the variations in the height of the ground, cinder block the actual coop. Oh my gosh, I'm dreading telling these guys they need to redo this. I've been told that leveling so far has been the hardest part. Next up I'm sure will be the hardware cloth - please help, any suggestions, would be greatly appreciated. What about attaching just along the base of the inside of the coop and digging down 6-7 inches and putting hardware cloth underneath? HELP....






Elevation off the group -

 

[farmguycitygirl]

If you peel back the turf 2-3 feet around the coop, and lay mesh, then relay the turf, and attach the mesh to the coop, it will be very hard for a predator to dig under it as it will also be standing on it. You can then attach the coop's mesh over the ground mesh so it is double-attached.

That's what I would do.

 

[Jaxon4141]

If you want to skirt around your blocks, make a cap piece of fencing the size of the cinder block top and attach it to your frame. Cut pieces of fencing that fit the sides and front of the block and reach to the ground. Hog ring these to the cap piece and bring your fencing on your frame to the ground. You will have to notch for the cinder block for both the skirt and the run fence and ring the notch to the fencing on the block. Hog ring everything together and even the holes in the front of the cinder blocks will be covered. You do not need to dig up your grass to lay skirts down. Just more the grass short and pin the outside edge down with U shaped pieces of wire. When the grass grows up through the fencing it will bury itself over time.

 

[bj taylor]

i don't see that the frame is attached in anyway to the cinder blocks. i don't think your problem is a difficult fix. i would consider back digging behind the blocks a little bit using a sharpshooter.
use a 6 inch length of 2x6 against the face of the block & using a sledge hammer "tap" the face of the 2x6 pushing the cinder block backward until flush. you don't need to move the structure at all.

 

[ll]

consider making a hardware cloth "floor" in the run ... it will keep out mice & rats too.

 

[chicks4erin]

Thank you all for the suggestions. Helpful as always!