Question about keeping critters out from below...

[erinangele]

We are expecting our first fuzzybutts next week, and we are so excited! My husband has designed and bought materials to build the coop/run. He is wanting to lay "chicken wire" on the floor of the run instead of digging a trench around the run to keep critters out. Will this be ok? Will they just peck around the wire, or should it be underground?

Not sure if this would make a difference, but they have more than the suggested 10sq ft. per chicken run (and 4sq ft in coop), and we plan on free ranging for a few ours during the day.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

[hallerlake]

Quote:
If he doesn't want to dig a trench ( I know I wouldn't), he can lay it flat on the ground around the run. it's called an apron when you do it that way

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/12447_coop1.jpg

 

[Sinfonian]

First off, poultry wire or chicken wire won't keep anything out and will just annoy you and the chickens as it rusts. I went 1/2 inch welded hardware cloth instead. I have no floor on my run but bent the sides of the walls down 6 inches out on the ground to thwart diggers. I'm sure there are 100 other good ideas out there. Though I would return the chicken wire. It's useless in my opinion. Good luck and enjoy the fuzzybutts!

 

[erinangele]

An apron is an idea. My only concern would be my 3 year old getting poked by it, but i suppose we could cover it with dirt...

Quote:
I guess we don't have chicken wire after all, it is the 1/2 inch welded hardware cloth. I didn't realize this wasn't called chicken wire

 

[hallerlake]

Quote:
I guess we don't have chicken wire after all, it is the 1/2 inch welded hardware cloth. I didn't realize this wasn't called chicken wire

You can also use landscape staples to anchor it.

 

[CarolynF]

Hi erinangele, and welcome to our happy Huge Family

Ditto the earlier comment on chicken/poultry wire. It just isn't strong enough to keep anything out of your run.
I chose 2" x 4" 16 gauge welded wire. It's heavier than hardware cloth, but the holes are bigger, I'm not sure which is better. I put it about 3"-4" under the floor of the run. Then I bent up the edges and securely wired that to the hardware cloth fencing. I chose to bury mine so the chickens wouldn't be walking on wire and possibly hurt their feet. I chose the 2x4" wire because it's quite heavy and can't easily be broken thru by animals that might dig under the fence.

The "skirt" shown in the photo from hallerlake is good except at the corners. An animal can easily dig where the wire is missing at those corners. Also, be sure the skirt is fastened down securely with stakes, heavy weights, etc. or the animals will simply wiggle underneath as they dig. And if the stakes aren't in really well, they can lift the wire and stakes at the same time then dig underneath, too.

Have fun!

 

[hallerlake]

Quote:
The skirt should be bigger than the one in the picture; 18"-24". An animal will dig at the base of the wall. They won't think to start 2 feet out. Obviously the corners need to be covered as well. I guess I should have looked longer for a better picture.

 

[pawsplus]

I have a hardware cloth apron on my chainlink run and before I laid down the vinyl flooring in the coop I put down hardware cloth on the floor, nailed into the plywood floor, just in case anyone tried to chew in from underneath.