19-22 gauge should do for 1/2 inch hardware cloth. The larger the spacing the lower gauge number you need. Reason being is an animal can get it's teeth around the wire with larger spacing and literally chew it. I use 14 ga. welded wire for my 2x4" spacing fencing on run. No dog or coyote or raccoon is chewing through that. The large openings don't matter as the birds will move to other side of run if a raccoon is reaching in. The horror stories of coons grabbing birds and pulling parts through fence holes is from those that let their birds roost in run. Obviously, have them roost in locked coop at night. I also use the 14 ga. 2x4 fencing as the apron around run. Pull up sod and lay flat. Cut lengths to overlap at corners and lay out about 18" then cover back with sod or thin layer of dirt. Animals dig at the fence line. Hit fencing and can't get through so move over and dig again at fence line. This continues until they give up. Hardware cloth is very expensive. I limit it's use to vent holes on coop and use the far more reasonable priced welded wire for run.
You'll read a lot of people using ultra protection halfway up the run....so uh, what happens when the animal climbs up and enters the top half of run? Fox, raccoon, bobcat, etc. will do exactly that. Climb, tear open a hole and feed. Half way protection is fine if your main threat is neighbors dogs in suburbia but will not stop wild animals if they are your threat.
You'll read a lot of people using ultra protection halfway up the run....so uh, what happens when the animal climbs up and enters the top half of run? Fox, raccoon, bobcat, etc. will do exactly that. Climb, tear open a hole and feed. Half way protection is fine if your main threat is neighbors dogs in suburbia but will not stop wild animals if they are your threat.
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