What do I do with this fence? Newbie needs help!

[nikki1]

So...2 sides of my run that's under construction will be my existing 6' tall wood board fence. It's a well-built structure, pretty new, with no gaps in the fence, BUT it was not made to be predator-proof. How big of a skirt should I put around the outside? Is there anything I should do to the outside of the wood to reinforce it?

Also, the run will have a roof, and I'll need to put some mesh between the top of the fence and the roof. The previous owners of the house left behind a roll of 4" x 2" welded fencing...If it's well above chicken level (where there's no chance of a reach-and-grab attack), could I use it for that gap?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[KDK1]

If I understand you correctly, a 18-24" skirt would be fine. The 2X4 welded wire will work for the gap at the top. Pics would help. This is what I did for a skirt on my wood fence. Buried chain-link 20" down.

 

[Jaxon4141]

The skirt around the outside does not have to be very wide. I've known people to use a one foot horizontal predator skirt and have great protection. Predators that dig almost always dig were the run fence and the ground meet. If you stop any digging at that point that's pretty much the end of it. You do not have to bury the skirts. Wire pinned to the ground quickly disappears. If you are up against a wooden fence and can not lay your skirts on the outside of it, then burying it vertically down into the ground is your next best option.