What best for digging protection? Dig Defence?

[ChickenThunderdome]

We have a 10x20 dog pen for a run. We plan on using hardware cloth on the top and around the ground level to prevent raccoons reaching in and grabbing a chicken.

Now we need to do something to protect from animals digging into the run.

We found "dig defence"
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/dig-defence-large-animal-barrier-25-pack-dd3103225

It looks a heck of a lot easier than putting hardware mesh on the bottom and then spending hours of shoveling dirt on top of it.. This simply gets hammered around the sides.

Anyone used this or heard of it being used? We have plenty of dogs/coyote/raccoons/possums here.

 

[elmo]

We have a 10x20 dog pen for a run. We plan on using hardware cloth on the top and around the ground level to prevent raccoons reaching in and grabbing a chicken.

Now we need to do something to protect from animals digging into the run.

We found "dig defence"
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/dig-defence-large-animal-barrier-25-pack-dd3103225

It looks a heck of a lot easier than putting hardware mesh on the bottom and then spending hours of shoveling dirt on top of it.. This simply gets hammered around the sides.

Anyone used this or heard of it being used? We have plenty of dogs/coyote/raccoons/possums here.

Hmm. All we did was lay regular galvanized hardware cloth flat on the ground as an apron all around the run. Easy to install. I didn't shovel any dirt, just bent the hardware cloth at a 90 degree angle and screw/staple it to the run baseboards. Grass quickly grew up and covered the apron. Ten years, still working. Raccoons visit our yard nightly, too.

 

[paneubert]

$189.99 for 66.6 feet of defense. That is way too costly in my book. And I am not a fan of the spacing of the spikes. MANY small predators will go right between those 3 inch spaces.

I do like the concept in general. But the price and spacing is not equaling the "convenience". Show me something with 1 inch spacing and I would buy it. Still would not be my preferred half inch spacing, but I would pay for the "convenience" of being able to just hammer it in the ground.

That being said, their 25 pack would cover your run with roughly 6 feet left over. So efficiency of materials is on your side.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

I really wanted this to be The Thing. But with the bars 3” apart, anything smaller than that (minks, weasels, snakes) could easily get through.

 

[mowin]

There's no way that would work where I live. Ground is to rocky.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I think rats would enjoy tunneling into the run, since the gaps between the spokes are so large. I have a HWC apron.

If rats aren't a concern maybe this could work for you, though a welded wire apron should do the same for a lot less money. There's no need to bury an apron, just use landscape staples to secure it to the ground and let grass grow back in over it (or if you have no grass, you can put a thin layer of gravel or sand over it to hide it).

 

[ChickenThunderdome]

How large of an apron do you all use?
I'm assuming 2-3 ft out from the run? Do you use tent stakes to nail them down or?

Thanks! Enjoying learning about this stuff. Just want the chickens safe and my back in decent shape next week LOL.

 

[rosemarythyme]

How large of an apron do you all use?
I'm assuming 2-3 ft out from the run? Do you use tent stakes to nail them down or?

Mine is about 2' out. I use landscape staples like these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CCB51C8/?tag=backy-20

 

[ChickenThunderdome]

Mine is about 2' out. I use landscape staples like these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CCB51C8/?tag=backy-20

Awesome, thank you. This looks a lot easier than having to run wire under the run.
Have you lost anything yet or has it been a pretty solid deterrent ?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Awesome, thank you. This looks a lot easier than having to run wire under the run.
Have you lost anything yet or has it been a pretty solid deterrent ?

My only predator loss has been to hawk. The run is now completely netted over (was uncovered before).

I've seen rats try to tunnel underneath, and give up halfway. Also had a coon try and pull some HWC off one corner but it peeled back about 1/4", no breech.