Varmit proofing run and coop

[Charlenesmom]

We are planning on building a 12ft by 8ft run and building a small elevated coop within. We will only have 4 hens so there should be plenty of room for them to spread out. I see that many people install hardwear cloth under the ground around the wood frame. We were thinking of just covering the entire floor of the run with hardwear cloth over a layer of pea stone for drainage. The coop will be located inside so my thinking (though perhaps not correct) is that the entire run and coop will be varmit proofed if the hardwear wire covers the entire floor. That way if anything does try to dig under, no matter where they dig they will hit the hardwear cloth wire barrier. Does anyone have any reasons why this method would not work vs the burying a foot or so of the cloth just around the perimeter. I would greatly appreciate any and all input as this is our first foray into building a run and coop. The run will have a slanted metal roof
So the hens will be protected from weather and hawks. We will be starting construction soon and it has to be completed by the middle of May so replies ASAP would be appreciated. Sincerely, Charlenesmom

 

[PirateGirl]

You can cover the whole run floor to be more secure. Chickens naturally like to dig and scratch, just make sure your pea gravel/soil that you put on top of the hardware cloth is deep enough so the chickens aren't scratching through to the hardware cloth.

 

[jreardon1918]

Our coop is close to what you describe. 4x8 raised, with an attached 8x8 run. The run has a solid roof. We went with the hw cloth apron. We are working toward deep litter. Anyway, the chicks love to dig. I had to move the feeder today as they had dug a hole deep enough that they were struggling to reach the feed. This has worked great. I have added my two cents y to the comment jar.

 

[Charlenesmom]

You can cover the whole run floor to be more secure. Chickens naturally like to dig and scratch, just make sure your pea gravel/soil that you put on top of the hardware cloth is deep enough so the chickens aren't scratching through to the hardware cloth.

So the peastone should go on top of the hardwear cloth?

 

[Charlenesmom]

You can cover the whole run floor to be more secure. Chickens naturally like to dig and scratch, just make sure your pea gravel/soil that you put on top of the hardware cloth is deep enough so the chickens aren't scratching through to the hardware cloth.

How deep do you suggest that the dirt and sand should be?

 

[PirateGirl]

So the peastone should go on top of the hardwear cloth?

The chickens should not be walking/scratching on the hardware cloth, your substrate should go on top of it. I think this is why many people opt not to do this, it involves moving a LOT more dirt than digging in the fence or adding a flat apron (no dirt work at all for that option).

How deep do you suggest that the dirt and sand should be?

I'm not quite sure. My gut reaction is at least six inches

 

[Charlenesmom]

We will need to dig out a location for the run in any case, as the run will be built into a slight incline so there should be plenty of dirt to backfill over the hw cloth. We are planning on having the dirt floor be at least 10” deep. Our current chicken loves digging in my garden mulch so we could add some of that over the dirt as well.
Any ideas about drainage around the run? Trench lined with stone? Gutter on the back of the roof? Combination of the two?

 

[PirateGirl]

hmm... perhaps I'm not understanding right, but if you are intending to dig into the incline with the intention of making a level run you would be creating a low spot for water to gather. If the run is sloped with the incline you mention, then water can potentially drain out the low end. I'm sure you will get it all sorted. Just keep drainage in mind as you are planning as well. Good luck! The coop build is the hardest part, generally the day to day of chicken keeping gets easier after that.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The reason people apron a run versus having hardware cloth under the run is because chickens can dig quite deep and the wire can cut up their feet and lead to bumblefoot issues. It's also generally cheaper and less work to install an apron, plus if the apron lies on the surface it makes it easy to maintain it as well.

But if you insist on doing this, I would say have about 6" of dirt/bedding on top at a minimum but maybe a foot or more would be better. You will also need to keep an eye on it because as the chickens dig around they may uncover some of the wire.

Is drainage currently an issue at the location? I don't know much about drains but adding some would help, if it's a known issue.

 

[blackdog043]

I would leave the run on a slight incline, so water doesn't build up. Mine is on a slight incline. If you really want to make it flat, then you should put in a french drain, on the side the water will be coming from. Also I would do deep litter inside the run, instead of dirt. Deep litter does not smell and will not draw flies to your run. Poop will break down and become part of the deep litter. Your chickens will like digging and dust bathing in the deep litter also.

An 18 inch apron will work fine for digging predators, I wouldn't use wire inside the run.
If you gonna use hardware cloth for your run, check Amazon or walmart.com they usually have better pricing than big box stores and it comes in bigger sizes.

My deep litter run, after adding yard and garden waste.

New chicks starting to dust bath