A couple questions.

[WindingRoad]

What size hard cloth do I get. I have 23 gauge and 1/4 opening. HD sells 5'long by 4 feet wide.

How high up the side of my wooden coop should I put it. I'm thinking the apron about 6 inches deep and then up the coop. I saw a rat climbing up the wooden corner post. Coop is a 10x12 wooden "shed". I need to paint it and the enclose it and my run.

Opps one more ? Want to put in metal threshold and probably a metal door to the run how wide can I get a door like that. I have 2 door now on the "shed" that swing out to put a riding mower in when it was a shed.

All answers welcomed.

Also how do I put a saying on my post like some put what they have for chickens or a bible verse etc.

TIA.

 

[3KillerBs]

Half-inch hardware cloth is a stronger, more predator-resistant wire than quarter-inch.

 

[WindingRoad]

Half-inch hardware cloth is a stronger, more predator-resistant wire than quarter-inch.

Gauge??

 

[rosemarythyme]

1/2" is usually... 19 gauge? If this is strictly for an apron against rodents, 1/4" may be a good choice, but it really depends on what you're trying to exclude.

If this is for the side of the coop, just going up the walls a few inches past where you're fastening it should be sufficient.

BTW you'd get better prices on bigger rolls of HWC, big box store prices are pretty high for the stuff.

 

[WindingRoad]

1/2" is usually... 19 gauge? If this is strictly for an apron against rodents, 1/4" may be a good choice, but it really depends on what you're trying to exclude.

If this is for the side of the coop, just going up the walls a few inches past where you're fastening it should be sufficient.

BTW you'd get better prices on bigger rolls of HWC, big box store prices are pretty high for the stuff.

I have been looking at the stuff. Didn't notice that 1/2" came as 19 gauge only. Have to look closer. It's late, I'm old LOL. I'm after rats. Knock on wood I've not seen anything else around. Next door neighbor has Bull Mastiffs and she walks them in a fenced area right beside my coop and run. She stays up until 2-3 am and walks them that late at night so I think that keeps most predators away. Rats can hide under the coop. It's off the ground on blocks. Maybe 3-5 inches. I saw a rat this fall climbing up the corner post of the coop. It's all wooden. So I'm thinking I need to go up aways.

There are some fence websites. One guy said not to buy 100ft rolls to difficult to work with he said he weighs around 250lbs. So he unrolls the stuff and stand on the end of it to uncurl it make it flatter and as he walks he leans back ward to really flatten. I'll have help with as it is stiff and cumbersome. He says pay the extra $$ to avoid a big hassle.

Thanks for taking your time to reply.

 

[rosemarythyme]

1/2" does come in as low as 14 gauge or thereabouts but that'd be harder to find as it's not common. Not sure if 1/4" comes in different gauges.

Sounds like your coop is set up similar to mine, at least at ground level. This is what my coop "apron" looks like (you can see it attached with screws/washers behind the cinder blocks). For me, just having the wire come up to trim height is perfectly fine, but my coop is also completely enclosed by the run:

And if 100' rolls are too difficult, 50' might be more manageable? I usually buy 50' rolls, if I recall correctly, since I do all the coop upgrades myself so need it to be manageable...

 

[The WinterWolf]

For coop ventilation? (I am too lazy today to read any comments)

 

[mowin]

A 4'x100’ roll of HC isn't 250lbs, lol. Think it's around 70lbs.

 

[David61]

yea, amazon shipped my 1/2 100' roll no problem. Run that 1/2 Everywhere you can. put it down in the gound going out as a apron. run it up the walls and cover roof soffits,windows, doors, vents.
you can frame up inside an existing door opening and put a 2x2 screen door covered with 1/2 wire.