Buried hardware cloth under the whole run?

[DRPinAR]

We are still in the design phase (build this Autumn and Winter, chickens late Winter or early Spring 2016). When researching how to create an apron or bury the hardware cloth to keep out digging predators, my husband suggested we bury hardware cloth under the whole run. I haven't seen this method described in many places (cost? Feasibility? Or too much work for the payoff?).
We will use either concrete or cinder blocks all the way around the edge of run. Sides will be chain link with hardware cloth up the sides 24 inches. Part of the run roof will be solid along with the coop, the remaining roof will be hardware cloth (yes, I see you Mr. And Mrs. Hawk! I am thankful we don't have a toy sized dog. Because we wouldn't for long...).

Anyone done this? Successfully? How deep would you recommend burying the hardware cloth? Top with gravel, sand and top soil?

 

[galvinj]

I put an apron of hardware cloth on the ground. I attached it with furring strips to the run and laid it out two feet on each side. I used six inch stainless "U" spikes to secure it and secure the seams. I filled in the space between the run and the end of the cloth with mulch. I've had plenty of skunks and possums trying to dig with no luck at all.

 

[DRPinAR]

Looks great! How deep is the apron?

 

[galvinj]

It lays on the ground and is two feet long. I did not dig it in, I payed it on top of the ground

 

[galvinj]

. Here is a pic before completion.

 

[LaPineEggs]

DRPinAR, My wife and I are right on the same timeline as you. We close on a new home and rural property in 3-weeks and my Fall/Winter project will be building a coop & run.

Like you, I have been thinking about whether to bury mesh??? I was thinking maybe burying mesh laid flat about 4" deep and then lay rectangular concrete paver blocks around the edge of the cloth that will serve as the foundation for the coop & run. That way I can back fill the dirt over the mesh to give the birds something to dig around in.

 

[Blooie]

I also opted for a hardware cloth apron around my run and my coop. Our ground is entirely too hard to dig a deep enough trench around the entire setup, and putting it under the entire run wasn't cost effective. I'm glad we didn't - seeing the craters that my chickens dig in the run gave me the shivers when I thought about what that hardware cloth would have done to their feet when they were digging under the litter.

Our run is a hoop run - cattle panels arched over and attached to steel fence posts driven into the ground. We covered the cattle panels with chicken wire to deter flying beasties. Then we sewed - literally sewed - hardware cloth up about 2 feet, folded it out at the bottom for another almost 2 feet, and anchored it with landscape fabric staples. Where we used hardware cloth around the coop, we anchored it to the wood of the coop (into the studs) with screws and large washers, folded it out again at the bottom and used the landscape fabric staples. This apron has worked extremely well. Originally we were going to cover it with rock, but the grass grew up so nicely through it that you can't even see it now, and Ken can mow right up to the edge of the run and coop. Handy for keeping hiding places for other creepies out of the equation.

It got it's first test the first day we let them into the run. Our English Setter, Molly, went bonkers trying to get to them, even though she'd been around them since they were just a few days old. She paced and paced, and then she tried digging under. She broke and bloodied a toenail and went limping away, looking over her shoulder and shooting the chickens a dirty look like it was all their fault she got hurt. She has never bothered the chickens since, not even when they are free ranging out in the yard. We've also seen evidence that something else had tried, and failed, to get in on a couple of different occasions. So I'm sold on hardware cloth aprons. That said, I don't believe there is any such thing as a predator proof setup. The moment I start relying on all of the prevention we put into place and not on common sense and diligence, that's when an accident is going to happen. So we watch all the time for loose spots, small holes developing, and anything else we might have overlooked. They say on here to build your coop and run like Fort Knox. I say even Fort Knox has guards and is monitored all of the time.





I think the hardware cloth we used is visible in these photos. On the coop it only goes up to just over the gap between the foundation timbers and wall but extends out quite a ways. Photos of the complete build are on my Coop Page, which you can visit by clicking the link under my avatar.


You are all so smart, building everything before you get your chickens. I did it totally backwards and didn't even come up with a plan until the chicks were in the house driving me crazy! Now I just brood them outdoors from the start, even up here in Wyoming where we can get mighty cold. Just made a portable pen into a brooder, set it up in the run (which is now trimmed with white vinyl lattice and covered with greenhouse plastic in winter) and put the chicks out. They do just great! I'm a firm believer that good run can make or break a setup. They aren't in the coop that much, just to sleep and lay eggs. The run is where they spend the majority of their time - at least mine do.

 

[DRPinAR]

Thanks! Very helpful information. I have spent some time at The Site, and dread even trying to use hardware cloth as an under-layment. There is an old stump that will be included in the run, and all of it's shallow, large roots. Yikes! We have rocky soil, so digging down isn't sounding fun, but the apron idea might be perfect!

Yes, I agree about common sense and forgetting to be diligent. We just want to do this right the first go. We will be spending a money on heritage breeds, and don't want to loose them all due to not planning ahead.

Can't wait to have pictures of my own to share!

 

[lynnehd]

Thanks! Very helpful information. I have spent some time at The Site, and dread even trying to use hardware cloth as an under-layment. There is an old stump that will be included in the run, and all of it's shallow, large roots. Yikes! We have rocky soil, so digging down isn't sounding fun, but the apron idea might be perfect!

Yes, I agree about common sense and forgetting to be diligent. We just want to do this right the first go. We will be spending a money on heritage breeds, and don't want to loose them all due to not planning ahead.

Can't wait to have pictures of my own to share!

I did much the same as those above. Hardware cloth, 1/2 inch, two feet fanned out around the coop and stapled to the base of the frame.(pneumatic stapler, or you could use screws/washers).
I scraped away 2-3 inches of gravel or soil and then covered the mesh back up so it wouldn't show.

I considered covering the bottom of my coop with mesh, but was concerned about cleaning/scraping it out at later date. So far, so good. Otherwise, I have 1/2" hardware mesh around everything: vents, sides. The roof of the main run is covered. I just didn't want a raccoon climbing up the sides and grabbing a chicken.
I have construction sand in my coop and love it. The secondary run outside this is lots of needles, leaves, etc.

 

[aart]

I would advise against hardware cloth, or any wire mesh, buried under a run.

Eventually it will rust and break up, and chickens can dig amazingly deep holes.....
......would be worried about injured chicken feet and the impossibility of removing it when necessary.

I did put HC on the plywood floor of the coop (walls and ceiling too) to prevent anything from chewing in thru the wood,
but put heavy vinyl flooring over it to protect both chicken feet from the HC and the HC from any spilled water in the coop.