I myself have always used a mix of both chicken wire and hardware cloth. I utilize other predator tools as well. Things like live traps which are regularly filled with one type of varmint or other. They are sneaky but stupid in our neck of the woods. We do not catch and release. Well alive that is. The only predator loss I have had was from domesticated animals. My father had a terrible problem with the neighbors dogs and I had only ever lost one juvenile to a cat. The coops are pretty open once the temps get above freezing, so all that covers the windows besides the window screen to keep out the flying pests is chicken wire. The winter door is removed and a summer door that is hardware cloth is installed. I also keep a low light on. It helps to deter those nasty critters as they prefer the dark of night. The other day we found one of our favorite hens with a large wound on her belly area that was at least a day old and beyond help. She was put down. Then two nights ago I was chatting with my husband in our machine shed when the group of roosters that I have in an out door pen started up a squawking. When we got over there a black cat came running out of the hen coop. The lights hadn't been turned on and the hens and Rudy our old roo didn't see the cat, but Goldie our Buff Orph felt it. Cat got her in almost the same spot as Star had been injured. The varmint must have jumped up and bite or swiped. The pop door was still open as I hadn't gotten over there yet. Too everyone that says a cat wont kill hens I say your wrong. My husband is now looking to catch himself a kitty. The cat tore Goldie open pretty good, but as we caught it right away I just treated it and stitched her back up. She won't be laying for a while, but it's better than having her dead. Had the light of been turned on earlier I doubt the cat would have slunk in there. We have been late getting down the to coops this past week and it cost us. The best predator management is good husbandry. My toiling in the garden until late or busying myself elsewhere rather than taking care of the birds is what lead to this. Call it my very own little light bulb coming on.
As for what works best? I've had mixed reviews from friends. One that only lives a mile and a half down the road and uses 1/2 inch hardware cloth lost every single bird to a coyote attack. We could hear the coyotes just a yipping, but because they were out for the evening they didn't. Next morning they found a mess and the hardware cloth looked as though something had hooked it and pulled until it stretched and tore. My neighbor does not have a light near his coop. Or at least he didn't then, but may now. Nothing is every predator proof. Those buggers will always find your week spot and take advantage. Losses are inevitable. The best you can do is make them work for it, and the longer they work at it and the more persistent they are the more likely good husbandry will notice and put stumbling blocks in their way. My biggest predator problem is the two legged kind that comes and steals eggs by the dozens. It's pretty obvious when you have been away and then you are 3 or 4 dozen eggs short for the day. Those same thieves are probably also infrequent customers that don't know I'm there until they pull up and see my car hidden. What's so stupid is if they asked they could take the week old eggs no problem, as I never sell anything more that 5 days old.
