skunk proofing the banty pen

This is my first attempt at loading photographs.  If my son leaves my side I may never be able to repeat it!  Need written step by step instructions.  So, this is what I did today  -  reinforced the banty pen so skunks cannot dig their way in.  Before and after pic  -  not real clear but good enough to see.  Actually, the after photo shows above the work in progress picture.  I used roofing iron strips, dug a trench beside the outside of the pen (on the inside of the barn), unscrewed the upright railings, slipped the tin into place, tightened the screws, back filled and voila!   Have had problems with skunks before and found some suspicious digging by the other reinforced pen so thought I'd make the banties safe so I don't have to worry.  

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You have pictures! Congratulations figuring it out! Sorry I couldn't help much... 

Hi Tara and Sue

been out all morning, getting to my computer now. Yep, I'm skunk proof now and really pleased. It was a bit of a drag to do, working in a tight space with a mattock inside a building but I'm pretty happy with it. That thing about the wire extending out from the actual wall is cool. That is what the people who previously owned this place did for the chook run - it is old and not all the way around but I see how effective it is in the places where it is, actually I think it was meant to keep the chickens in rather than keeping things out. It is not buried, that would be better yet. Next is to deal with those dratted mice, they are bugging the heck out of me. Going to do like you Tara, put the food away at night or cover it so they can't get it but what to do about all the mess the chooks make?? that's just as good as getting it from the feeder. aye yae yae. Set traps, part two of my plan. They are getting ready for winter like us I guess and our barn would be like a 5 star hotel for them!

That's a good idea with the laxative chocolate, I've noticed this with myself and kids and pretty much any other creature that wishes to express its own will, if it is your idea to do something it is always much easier to do it than if someone is making you. A skunk that kicks itself out of its own nest is going to go much more easily than if I'm standing there with my teeth sharpened and permanent growl. Had a chat to myself about what kind of skunk eviction I was prepared to engage in and realised I could take the spray and get nasty. I'm not just going to piss on things to mark out my teritory, I'm going to get right down to fisty cuffs! Little askholes. This is serious stuff. That's if the laxative chocolate didn't work, presuming I knew where their home base was.

Yeah Sue, I discovered how to load photos on here. If it weren't for my gaming son who lives and breathes computer stuff I'd be still trying to figure it out. Can't imagine how painstaking that would be to describe to me over the internet. hair pulling.

Off to the movies tonight. better go start shutting everyone in soon.

Looks like fort knox! Good job. That should keep your chooks safe.

thanks Kathy, really don't want anything eating the chooks.  Lot of investment of my mind gone into them :-). Actually, those uprights on the fence were there before its fate as Banty Pen became a destiny - was a winter home for a dog in a past life and I totally remade it but kept a couple of things like those uprights.