Predator proofing

[aart]

An apron doesn't have to be buried.

 

[drinkoj]

....

So a 2’ wide trench around the run and coop would be 90 square feet. The area under the coop and run itself is 62 sqft. I remember digging out a very small pond and it was lots of work—the idea of digging 90sqft 2 feet deep puts me off! One foot deep for 62sqft is 1/3 the work, I guess...

anyway, thanks for all your views. I will keep thinking...

There is no need for a trench around the outside of the run, you just lay it down flat on the ground and use something like a tent stake to hold the ends in place.

If you are wanting to dig a trench down 2' to create a WALL of hardware cloth, that's another mater and like I said earlier you can do it but not a great idea unless you have a specific type of predator(s) that your fending off.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I think you're overcomplicating it. A simple apron, of 1/2" HWC, pinned flat on the ground 18-24" out, is sufficient ground protection for most set ups. If your concern is you have a specific pest or predator you're trying to combat, or think aproning that way might not work for you (i.e. lots of tree roots, so would be hard to pin the apron down), then we'll need specifics to tailor the options better.