Alternatives to hardware cloth??

[aart]

@LulaBell Adding 14ga 1/2" x 1" or 2" mesh would be the best, IMO.

so we stumbled onto a small store that sold us 1/2”x100’ rolls for $64.

How wide was the roll?
You've got size of mesh and length of roll but not width....was it 2' or 3' or 4'??

What makes you think the poultry netting is not going to be enough?

Strong jaws, coons and canines, chew thru it.

Could happen, but I ordered two rolls that arrived with no damage.

I've ordered a half dozen 1/2" x 4' x 50' rolls, never had one arrive damaged.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Yes, the wire comes in various length rolls. 25' is easy to handle and 50' if only 3' wide isn't bad. So what I meant is that a 6' wide roll can be awkward to handle, so I use two 3' width rolls to make 6' if that's my height. Then just make sure to crimp the seam together with j clips or hog rings.

I used 1/2 inch hardware cloth 36 inches wide to cover 6 foot high walls. Once it was all up I used aluminum wire weaving it through each piece making it a solid seam. Took some time to complete, but it is still in place.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Right now on my very large run I have hardware cloth only on the bottom few feet. Then I have a hotwire at the top edge of that. I haven't had a land predator attack in 4 years, and we have many here. I'm not sure how the price compares to over all hardware cloth, but I have given up on the idea of saving money when it comes to chickens. I have the most expensive eggs in town.

I agree with you. No matter what you do it will cost dearly.

 

[LulaBell]

I named my Cairn Terrier Lula Bell!
View attachment 1975510
There is no substitute for hardware cloth. Other methods work for some, but if you have doubts and you have mink or weasels around... I would 100% use hardware cloth. Electric fencing around the perimeter is the only thing gonna stop a bear. Mink and weasels are no joke and will wipe you out. They can get through a 1" gap, and chicken wire wont stop them. If you have a hole, they will find it. Here is good recent mink thread.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/look-what-we-caught-in-our-trap.1340536/

Yes I agree, they are no joke! My first flock was taken out by a mink or weasel....nothing bigger than a 2 finger gap in the coop anywhere. I was devistated.

 

[gtaus]

Mink and weasels are no joke and will wipe you out.

For me, the worse thing is that they will kill one animal after another and not even bother to eat it.

I had a weasel get into my rabbits when I was a little kid. It killed lots of my nice rabbits before we were able to shoot it. Just a complete waste. No joke. Still hate those pet rabbit killing weasels.

 

[aart]

For me, the worse thing is that they will kill one animal after another and not even bother to eat it.

Many animals do this....killing frenzy...it's about economics of effort:eating.
They will cache carcasses, if possible, to eat for days without needing to hunt again.
Problem when they kill in a coop/run is they can get in but can't get the carcasses out,
so it appears to be wasteful 'sport killing'.

 

[lau57rin]

1/4” hardware cloth is all that I use. I do not want mice or snakes to be able to get in. They both can with 1/2” hardware cloth. It was suggested earlier to build a small section of your run and then expand it later when you have more resources. Smart suggestion.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I named my Cairn Terrier Lula Bell!
View attachment 1975510
There is no substitute for hardware cloth. Other methods work for some, but if you have doubts and you have mink or weasels around... I would 100% use hardware cloth. Electric fencing around the perimeter is the only thing gonna stop a bear. Mink and weasels are no joke and will wipe you out. They can get through a 1" gap, and chicken wire wont stop them. If you have a hole, they will find it. Here is good recent mink thread.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/look-what-we-caught-in-our-trap.1340536/

X2!

Mink/weasel in your area means needing a tighter hole size. Hardware cloth IS expensive but also effective.