should i put wire under my moveable run?

[clarey]

Hi,
we have a fixed run that is now just a dustbowl, but we are just making a moveable triangular run, so that our chooks can get some grass during the daytime. It would be moved once a week, so we don't want to dig the wire in or anything.
But we are worried about foxes, so were thinking about putting wire underfoot in the run, as well as over the top and sides.
What do you think?
thanks,
Clare

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I put wire under my 6X7' tractor. It has worked out great. I have absolutely no worries about animals digging in and getting the birds. It hasn't caused a problem with moving either. I plan to put wire under mine ike this with everything I build in the future because I really didn't like the wire on the outside of the tractor. After a while it became such a hassle to have to pull up the pins and put them in the ground again. With the wire stabilized on the bottom I never worry about it and I used the 2X4 dog wire so the grass comes up through it very well, though I believe the chickens aren't real happy with it interfering with their scratching.
Look under my thread called "I am not a builder."

 

[cmom]

Here are pictures of my run. My coop and run are moveable. I used 2x2's, 2x4's and chicken wire on the top too. I did not put any wire on the bottom. I have a fenced in range area with chicken wire for my birds. I leave the coop pop door open and the run gate open 24 hrs a day. These pictures were taken a long time ago when I was using the bird netting around their range areas. I have had no problems with preditors as of yet. I have a wide angle motion light that goes on, on the coop. If anything gets near it on the side where the run and access is. I do see the light go on once in awhile. The light is very bright so I think when it comes on it scares anything that sets it off, or in this case on. Click on picture for a larger image.

 

[Opa]

I would it for no other reason than the assurance that predators can't get to your birds.

 

[Chicabee19]

I was wondering this too.

I think it would help on those days when you want to move the tractor while the birds are still in there.

 

[patandchickens]

Unless it is fairly small mesh wire (like hardwarecloth) it will actually make it HARDER to move the tractor with the chickens inside. WIth a normal bottomless tractor they just walk along, but this way, you would have to pick the whole thing up high enough to clear the ground so their toes thru the mesh dont' get smooshed against the ground, and then (this is why I say small-mesh) put it down carefully so as not to squash their toesies then either.

And of course they won't be able to scratch, which is an awful big part of what chickens do for fun and for foraging.

It is true that it gives you maximal predator protection. However, you could achieve nearly the same degree of protection with *long* flip-down skirts (even 2-3' wide if you are really worried) that you use tent pegs or big rocks to keep in place. It depends on how much of a predator problem you have and what your tastes are, but me I'd probably go for the skirts.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[clarey]

thank you, all really helpful.
I do have a large earth run they can scratch around in, the moveable run is just for grass.

At the moment I am going to leave the little run as it is, until I decide whether to do a skirt or wire underneath. I take the point about scratching... but it is good to hear there are some happy hens about with wire underfoot.
thanks again,
clarey

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I close my birds up in the coop when I move the tractor. That way I don't have to worry about their little feet getting hurt and goodness knows, they really would have a hard time walking when it moves. I move it pretty fast.
They are so flighty, they would probably drop dead if you tried to get them to move along with it. Some birds are smarter than others but I move it and get it done and don't worry about having to wait for them to get the idea. I have tons of chores to do and waiting for them to walk a bit is much to slow for me.