Hardware cloth vs chicken wire

Badchickenpun said:

Resurrecting an old thread instead of starting new.
Lots of great info here, BTW.
1/2 hardware cloth just JUMPED in price. 3'x25' is around $40 at a particular store, but the 4'x25' is almost twice as much!? What the..
So I don't have unlimited resources.
I have an automatic door on my coop.
I plan to use the 1/2 hardware cloth on the walls on the run (buried) with some ground contact lumber around the bottom.
I am struggling with deciding on the top.
I was just going to go with bird netting... Then changed my mind to chicken wire...then use all the same 1/2 every where...
Now I am thinking 2x4 fencing...
We do have raccoons and possums around... for sure. The neighbor had completed free range chickens and had no issues, but then, he also had dogs.
I don't want to spend more on the fencing than needed.
Considering that they will only be out in the run during the day... How necessary is it to use the 1/2 hardware cloth on top? If small birds getting in is the only downside... Is there an problem with using the 2x4 stuff on the roof of the run?

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NagemTX said:

I feel you on the prices of hardware cloth. I'm going to end up doing the top of the coop with chicken wire and the bottom 3' with hardware cloth and the skirt with hardware cloth. The bottom 3' will be both hardware cloth and chicken wire. Been asking around to others in my area that keep chickens for advice. Have been told w/ the coon issues we have here that it will work and that I need to get electric fencing that will pack a punch.

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