Chicken Wire vs. Hardware Cloth

[dacjohns]

Chicken wire is for keeping chickens in or keeping chickens out. It will not stop most chicken predators except for maybe birds.

I have known dogs to tear through hardware cloth.

Best bet is to find out what predators are in your area and build to thwart them using a combination of materials. For instance; chicken wire on top to keep birds out, welded wire and chicken wire or hardware cloth on the bottom to keep dogs out. Seal up all openings bigger than one inch keep weasels out. Hope for the best when it comes to snakes and rats. Well, you can do something about snakes and rats but it is harder unless your coop is built like a house.

 

[amaranth320]

Thanks for all the input, guys. As per most of the advice here, I picked up some 1/2" welded hardware cloth. Now to just get it stapled all in. Blister city, here I come.

 

[Dawsonhall]

A.T. Hagan :

I'd use 2x4 welded wire for the run and save the hardware cloth for the coop. I don't use poultry wire for much of anything because it's just not strong enough.

.....Alan.

Ok, help me out here. We have been dreaming and planning our coop since October. We finally got to the point that we went to Lowe's with a camera phone and took pictures of 2x4's a week ago.

My 95 yr old mother had a good laugh over that one. We absolutely do NOT know what we are doing.
The question: what is the difference between hardware cloth (and its uses) and welded wire (and its uses). I thought they were the same just going by different names.

Thanks,
Mary​

 

[elmo]

Sometimes they call the lower gauge wire "welded wire" and the higher gauge (thinner) wire "hardware cloth." Sometimes they use the terms interchangeably. You do want to look for wire that's welded at the joints, not woven (like chicken wire typically is), because that's sturdier. And try to get a thicker gauge, say 19 or less. Ideally, look for wire that has openings no larger than 1/2 " by 1/2" inch unless you are not counting on the run to be predator proof (locking your chickens in a coop at night).

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

2 by 4 holes or bigger is usually called welded wire. Smaller mesh is usually called hardware cloth.

 

[gsim]

I like to take the line that I want two layers of defense. If one fails, the other may save the day. In my case, the outer defense is the pen, being 6 ft tall, 2x4 welded wire set in cement. Inside at ground level to 24" is continuous course of chicken wire to keep the chooks heads inside. Also a 5-mile fence charger and 4 courses of hotwire on the outside.

Second defense is my coop. Always locked down at sunset. Only hogzilla or a bear will breach the first line and likely will not get into Fort McCluck.

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE PREDATORS! Spend several evenings reading the predators section of this forum and you will discover that your urban area may well look like wild kingdom at night. You will also discover just how patient and cunning preds can be.

 

[RockwaterFarm]

i use 2 in by 4 in welded wire that i got at Lowes. I think it's strong that both cause its thicker and welded.

 

[tdstim]

My brother-n-law lost some chickens to predators that reached through the fence and was able to kill a few. So I am going with the smaller ½ hardware cloth. (I don’t want to lose any chickens or have to redo the job latter.)

 

[gsim]

Good choice. Could do the 2x4 welded wire at 6 ft tall, then go with 2 ft tall run of hardware cloth around the inside. Finish the job with a hot wire/fence charger and you will be secure against anything but hawks and owls.

I put up silver streamers after a loss to a red-tailed hawk. If I get another loss to a hawk or owl, I will tear that down and install bird netting instead, supporting it with poles in the center of the run. If preds clean out my chickens, I will just open up a used car lot there since I already have the streamers up.

Gerry

 

[kiweed]

I just used 1x1 welded wire for my run. Not only is is better in quality it is better looking.