wire / netting - how to install so predators can't get in

[McGoo]

We're finalzing our coop and would like to know if it is okay to lay the wire mesh down and off the sides of the coop to about 1 foot on the surface of the ground - pinned down of course, vs. digging a trench and laying it in there. Looking for pros and cons. Thanks all

 

[arlee453]

I don't see why laying it on the ground wouldn't work. The concept of making a section out from the coop is to deter digging predators - it's not like they would be smart enough to think "oh, I have to dig under ALL that 1 ft of wire and THEN under the coop"

On the other hand, if you have yard cleanup duties, it makes it easier to weed eat/mow etc if the wire is buried enough so it doesn't catch in your mower.

 

[McGoo]

Arlee,
Thanks. that's what I was thinking, but I wanted to make sure there's not something that I'm overlooking. We're trying to make the coop moveable - not daily or weekly, but seasonally and so I don't want to have to dig up the ground all the time.

Hope to finish the coop tomorrow or the latest this next weekend - then I'll post new pictures on my site.

Thanks.

 

[Dawn419]

We use wire, pinned down around the bottom (on the ground) of our coops/runs as a predator deterrent.

We used chicken wire around the main coop/run because we had a large roll of it sitting around...The south side wire will be buried when we finally build our raised bed garden.

.

We used 1/2" hardware cloth around the Townhouse coop because we used that to close in the framed area, and it is attached to the frame itself...we move this coop so it's handy to just twist tie the wire on the ground to the wire on the frame. We just re-pin it when we get it into it's new location.

Hope this is some help!

Dawn

 

[silkiechicken]

Ugh, wire skirts on cages are a pain, but I will be ripping it up in the spring because I keep getting diggers... the rats did however learn how to go back and still dig under the wire, just under where it lays on the ground.

 

[CarlaRiggs]

I've heard of raccoons that will dig beyond the wire skirt and under to the run/coop area. It really seems to be a more sure method to bury the skirt down and out.

 

[McGoo]

Thanks for your pics and help. We were thinking of doing it like the last pic Dawn posted. That's kinda the way we were invisioning it. But if there's any chance that the raccoons will get in, then we'll probably put the fence into the ground 'cause we've got lots of raccoons around.

And btw, the wire I'm using is 1" x 1" wire w/plastic coating. If we have little ones in the spring, I'll line the bottom with 1/2 wire cloth.

And thanks for all your advice - we're now almost done building the taj of all coops!!!!

 

[skatcatla]

I just have a single piece of hardware cloth that is about a foot larger all around than my run, and I just lay the run on top of it and then lightly tie it to the frame. I put wood chips over it to make it nice for the chooks to walk on..I suppose that's not quite as portable though. :-D