Which BYC member scares you?

[WallyG74]

How many inches deep?

good question! Depends on how hard the ground is. Most would say 12” but I think you could get by with less, especially if you backfill the trench with some kind of rock and cover with dirt. Do you have persistent predators? Bears and such?

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

good question! Depends on how hard the ground is. Most would say 12” but I think you could get by with less, especially if you backfill the trench with some kind of rock and cover with dirt. Do you have persistent predators? Bears and such?

Lol I hope not! (Although I know people who live not too far that see bears pretty regularly.) I think the dirt is generally pretty hard and rocky, so it might be kind of a PITA. We have mostly hawks and foxes, probably racoons, and of course, snek.

Unfortunately, the beast I'm most worried about is my own dog, but he's not a digger. He just sees chickenz and wants to play with them.

 

[Isadora]

That’s your little keet, right?

It is! So far he seems to think he's a chicken.

 

[Isadora]

Well he doesn't want to do an apron that would be visible and plus all the plants growing around. So I thought as floor covering would prevent anything getting in, and then under like 6-12" of bedding the Chickies wouldn't be anywhere near it really? You think it'd be better to like.... Trench it somehow around the inside edge and bury it inside vertically all around?

I also wouldn't want a hardware cloth floor. Even with deep litter, chickens like to dig, dust bathe, and scratch around. I just see a wire floor causing issues.
Really doing a hardware cloth apron should be sufficient.

 

[bill3607]

I also wouldn't want a hardware cloth floor. Even with deep litter, chickens like to dig, dust bathe, and scratch around. I just see a wire floor causing issues.
Really doing a hardware cloth apron should be sufficient.

Yes, and basically dig to the other side of the world.

I was at my run one day and I swore I heard someone speaking Chinese

 

[Isadora]

Yes, and basically dig to the other side of the world.

You have a vertical apron, then? My duck coop has a horizontal apron that initially I weighted down with rocks until the grass grew through it. Now it's impenetrable

 

[tripletfeb]

You have a vertical apron, then? My duck coop has a horizontal apron that initially I weighted down with rocks until the grass grew through it. Now it's impenetrable

That's what we did too. But I just remembered we have to put an apron around the new part of the run

 

[bill3607]

You have a vertical apron, then? My duck coop has a horizontal apron that initially I weighted down with rocks until the grass grew through it. Now it's impenetrable

completely covered and in ground about 18 inches

 

[Isadora]

completely covered and in ground about 18 inches

To China!

 

[bill3607]

To China!

close!