Chicken Wire

AccidentalFarm

Crowing
13 Years
Mar 29, 2007
1,310
744
314
Texas
I opened the package of chicken wire yesterday and was surprised at how flimsy the stuff seemed to be. I've used it before, some 10 years ago or so, and I just did not recall it being so...well, crappy. Does chicken wire come in different gauges? Why do I remember it being better quality years ago??

I am concerned now that a determined predator could get through this stuff- has anyone had this happen? I don't mean getting in through gaps and holes- I mean has anyone had anything break through the wire?

I have 4x2 horse fencing I can use, but would prefer not to as it is waaay expensive. I'd just like to make sure this flimsy chicken wire will hold BEFORE I fence my coop yard and find out the hard way.
 
Absolutely! It is a whole lot flimsier than it used to be! The stuff they sell now is so plyable I worry about predators just pushing it out of the way too. I certainly hope nothing breaks throught the wire! I just don't trust it by itself, though.
I have found some heavier gauge chicken wire, but a premium cost
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Don't have a name, but it was also coated with black and seemed a bit stiffer. Still not like the stuff used to be.
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What I ended up doing is using the 2x4 hardwire and covering the lower portion of the run with chicken wire as a secondary barrier. THe older part of the run has a combination of chicken wire and 2x4 hardwire as the roof. The new run roof I went ahead and spent the money for hardwire 1x2.
 
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The stuff these days is worthless!

I've ended up using 1/2inch hardware cloth all the way around the bottom of my run which is an old dog kennel. I covered the top with chicken wire-2layers thick and tied that onto some long branches I've laid across the top for support.

When funds become available, I'll be putting on a better roof. For now I keep my fingers, toes and eyes crossed that nothing chews it's way thru the top.

Coyote
 
Chicken wire is definiitly not for the birds. We used it in our first coop and yard. A opossum just stretched the wire and came in Ended up killed all but three birds. Now we use 1 inch fencing around our yard
 

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