Best size for predator apron or skirt - newbie seeking advice

[RoyalChick]

I am building a run for my chickens (I have only had them about 9 months so still learning) and am planning a predator apron - extending the hardware cloth from the walls out horizontally outside the run.
My question is how far out from the edge of the run should the skirt extend?
On this site I have seen reference to 2' and 1-2'. The builder helping me with the run thinks we should go out 4'. That seems excessive to me because I think predators would try to dig right close to the wall of the run. But he is worried as he has seen that there are foxes and coyotes around. There are also groundhogs who aren't really predators but do dig very long holes.
Any advice anyone?
Many thanks and Merry Christmas!

 

[DobieLover]

I am building a run for my chickens (I have only had them about 9 months so still learning) and am planning a predator apron - extending the hardware cloth from the walls out horizontally outside the run.
My question is how far out from the edge of the run should the skirt extend?
On this site I have seen reference to 2' and 1-2'. The builder helping me with the run thinks we should go out 4'. That seems excessive to me because I think predators would try to dig right close to the wall of the run. But he is worried as he has seen that there are foxes and coyotes around. There are also groundhogs who aren't really predators but do dig very long holes.
Any advice anyone?
Many thanks and Merry Christmas!

Because the apron is hidden under sod or whatever you cover it with, the digging animal typically starts digging right up next to the run wall. 4' out seems extreme.
My apron runs between 18 and 24" out from the walls. I ran the pieces vertically in 4' wide strips so they varied in length for each piece as the ground was not level.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I went out 18".

I agree 4' seems a bit on the excessive side.

I did lay heavy pavers on top of the wire right next to the run too. Mostly just cause I had them and it makes trimming there easier.

 

[David61]

Two feet at most. If they are digging any further away than that, its not going to be in one nights dig. Inspect daily and take action as needed. I dug out and put the skirt wire down below grade. I back filled with pieces of concrete, rock, broken pots , broken bricks …
i always keep broke bits of rip rap for filling holes under the fence, to line the bottom of flower pots. I had been hunting and saving old chain link fence for this job. I was going to line the whole bottom with it. I was told not to because chickens dig deep. I cut the fence 4' in half making 2' wide apron and ran the hardware cloth on top and up the poles. I back filled and put sod on top.

 

[rosemarythyme]

2' should be sufficient. Mine is more like 18" because that was the amount of material I had after running the rest of the width of hardware cloth up the sides.

 

[RoyalChick]

Thank you everyone for all your replies. Two feet it is! @David61 what I am doing is similar to what you have. I am putting 0.5" hardware cloth on the wall and bending it out at the bottom a few inches below grade. I am also putting cattle panels over the hardware cloth on the walls and a 2' wide strip of cattle panel (half a cattle panel) on top of the hardware cloth just below grade. Then I am back-filling with dirt. I am still deciding whether to add rocks (in my experience the diggers out there move more rocks in a night than we can with the Bobcat so not sure rocks will help!), or plant some ground cover. I don't want grass because I don't want to have to mow right up to the run.
You have all given me the confidence to stick with 2'. Thanks!

 

[aart]

I went out 18".

I agree 4' seems a bit on the excessive side.

I did lay heavy pavers on top of the wire right next to the run too. Mostly just cause I had them and it makes trimming there easier.

Agree.
Agree.
Nope, don't put pavers next to run wall, they may start to dig at outer edge of paver and end up under the apron....course might depends on size of paver.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Agree.
Agree.
Nope, don't put pavers next to run wall, they may start to dig at outer edge of paver and end up under the apron....course might depends on size of paver.

So far no diggers at the edges of the pavers. The pavers are 12" square. The ground is rock hard clay.

I am in town so although we have fox we don't have a ton of them.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I am still deciding whether to add rocks (in my experience the diggers out there move more rocks in a night than we can with the Bobcat so not sure rocks will help!), or plant some ground cover. I don't want grass because I don't want to have to mow right up to the run.

If you don't want to deal with grass (which does cover up the wire neatly but does tend to grow tall at the edge) a ground cover is fine or even a layer of gravel.

 

[RoyalChick]

Thank you everyone for the guidance. We settled on 2' apron which will be a couple of inches below grade. Now my latest worry is rust. I am using galvanized, vinyl coated 0.5" hardware cloth (16 gauge). Spending a lot on that. Won't it just rust away under the dirt? I see lots of people do predator aprons - has anyone lost them to rust?