Stopping animals digging into a run

[PaulaSB12]

I am buying a run from these people
http://www.aviaries4u.co.uk/chicken_runs_older.htm
I know I was going to get one from another firm but they just put up their costs due to the increase in value added tax from 17.5% to 20% plus some more (the price of the run went up £200) last night at work I was thinking about foxes digging under the fence, the one I am getting is £100 cheaper they will put guttering on it to collect rainwater and it includes them putting it up for me. You can get an anti dig shield but they don't seem very big so how about this dig down and make a hole the size of the run (9ft by 16) make a "box" of chicken wire where the run is going so that the walls of the box will be directly under the wall of the run. bury it so that there is soil and put grass seed in so they have grass to nibble on (for a while any way) so that if anything does dig they get to metal grid and can't get through it.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The way I handled digging animals was to put an apron around the run and coop. Take a section of wire, hardware cloth or welded wire, and lay it horizontally around the outside of your run. Attach it to the bottom of your run so nothing can get in that way. The idea is that the animal goes up to the fence, starts to dig, hits the wire, and does not know to back up and start digging further back.

This is a standard way to keep dogs in a kennel. The kennel wire sold here (No-Dig Kennel Fencing at Tractor Supply) uses 30 cm (1 foot) of apron, but I suggest at least 45 cm, with 60 even better. 30 cm just does not look like much when you are looking at it.

I used some 1" squares hardware cloth and some 2" x 4" welded wire, whatever I had on hand. You don't have to bury it. The grass will soon grow up through it and hold it down. Many people take off the sod, install the wire, and replace the sod. This in effect buries it about 5 cm. This makes it nice and neat and keeps it away from lawn mowers and weed eaters.

I find this a lot easier to install than digging down. I also think it is more effective. Some of those critters can dig down pretty far to get under the buried wire.

 

[Newbie in Screamer Al]

I used 1x2 14 ga. wire, dug down 9-12 inches from the walls, and then out 12-15 inches out and burried it. It IS alot more work, but bullet proof. I have alot of predators here, and thought it best to over secure my girls. here is a pic of how we did it. All the best............

 

[oldchickenlady]

I just laid wire down on the ground around my run (on the sides I cut the wire longer-18") nailed it to the 2x4 frame at the bottom of the run. Here is a pic.

Then I used these to stake it down...tent stakes from Walmart. The biggest one is best if you have rocks or tree roots. It is very strong and will go into roots just like a nail.

Works great for me and is a good way to use up small sections of wire.