Can raccoons get through 1" by 1/2" hardware cloth flooring?

A raccoon can most certainly reach into 1" x 1/2" welded wire and grab stuff on the other side..

Just look at the newer 'dog safe' raccoon traps, they are essentially only a 1" round opening that the coon reaches into...

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Okay, I think I'll keep half of the hutch with flooring and the other half on the wire, but add an extra bottom so that the raccoon arms and hands can't get through.

I think I just lost one quail to a raccoon (It was dusk-dark maybe 30-45 minutes before I got out there) because I went to shut them up and only found 10 (I have 11). They are young, 2 weeks old, no worries, I'm not shoving 10 full grown quail in a hutch xD I'm hoping I just miscounted, they move around so much, or one is hiding in the run and I'll find him tomorrow... But I think I'm just being hopeful. So I definitely don't want to take any risks with this bottom of the coop :/ I bet one was near the side of the coop where the wire is wider and a raccoon managed to squeeze a bird out. Not completely sure how they can manage to do that when the quail themselves tried and failed, but raccoons have their ways... :/

Raccoons tear them apart to make them fit...
Cover that wider wire with hardware cloth. Otherwise, it will be back for more. Coons will come out during the day for a sure meal.

Scooter&Suzie said:

I bet one was near the side of the coop where the wire is wider and a raccoon managed to squeeze a bird out.  Not completely sure how they can manage to do that when the quail themselves tried and failed, but raccoons have their ways... :/

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Racoons will pull on the bird until it rips apart and fits though the fence in pieces, they can easily pull a full sized chicken through chain link fence doing this...

Oh my word O.O I'll be gone all day tomorrow so I'll keep them in the enclosed area. The next morning I'll put up some extra hardware cloth.

I know this thread is old but i think it's a useful one. We had 1/2" by 1/2" 19 gauge hardware cloth flooring on bantam coops and the raccoons pulled toes off (and in one case a whole leg) through the wire. They can also easily unstaple any edges or corners holding the wire on, so just wanted everyone new to be careful and if using wire floor be sure to give the birds a roost pole up above it so they dont get toes and feet pulled off.

Wire floors are not good for chickens; hard on their legs and feet, and as above raccoons will do that. Easily. Mary

I realize this thread was about wire flooring, and consensus is yes, coons can and will reach through it.......when used as flooring.

Chickens should not be on wire floors. Once upon a time it was common to use a droppings pit beneath the roost........basically a wooden box and to keep the birds out of it and to let the droppings fall through it to the pit below, they used 1" x 2" wire above it, but still used roost bars above that. But the "pit" was still inside the buildings, so no coons were below it.

As for 1" x 1/2" wire itself, and how good is it......... in my opinion, it is the best wire we can use to protect our coops. It should be as effective as hardware cloth and if it is the 14 gauge welded wire like mine is, is much heavier than hardware cloth. Nothing short of a bear is likely to tear through it.

It is the wire I used on my Woods Coop and has repelled all boarders to date............and plenty of them have tried. I don't have photos of them all, but am pretty certain that coyotes, foxes, skunks and possums have looked through that screen too.