chicken coop fencing decisions....

[roaminggnome61]

I have a portable chicken coop as my 3 season home for my hens covered in 1/2" x 1/2" hardware cloth. The winter home pen is also covered in the same cloth. I was anticipating a lot of predator problems that did not materialize. I am planning on one more portable coop, but do not want to expend so much cash on the hardware cloth. Would 1/2" x 1/2" poulty fencing work for my project? It's galvanized hexagonal poultry fencing. Opinions please.

 

[patandchickens]

Dogs and coyotes and raccoons can rip apart even the 1/2" chickenwire.

Honestly, you don't KNOW whether a predator problem "didn't materialize" (yet!) or whether things DID come sniffin' round your coop and just were unable to get in. The whole problem is that the only thing you will ever be CERTAIN of is if a predator gets into your coop and eats your chickens. If nothing happens, it could be that nothing is around (ha) or that nothing can get in, but it can also very very easily be that nothing happens to have TRIED YET. Browse the "PRedators and Pests" section of the forum to see allllll the "my chickens got eaten" posts from people who coasted along with everything being fine, despite weebly fencing, for sometimes a rather long time.

If you want to keep your chickens from being eaten, you are really best off with either 1/2" hardwarecloth, or something larger and heavier (stout 1x1 or 2x4 welded wire, or stout chainlink) with 1/2" mesh attached over the bottom 2-3'. If you are going with the latter plan, IMHO it is quite reasonable to use 1/2" chickenwire rather than 1/2" hardwarecloth if that is cheaper and available to you, because you are not trying to use it to keep the whole predator out of the run, just keep chicken heads and predator paws on the correct sides of the fence.

JMHO, good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:
2X--If you really think you have no preds. put a game cam out there for a week or so......bet that would change your mind. Keep with the hardware cloth, an ounce of prevention and all that. It's spendy, but a lot less then replacing your flock.

 

[tcp97b]

Maybe I can help out.. On Saturday I bought 1x1 galvanized chicken wire/poultry netting to fence and cover my 20'x7' run with. I could not get it taught, it was very, very flexible, and like roaminggnome said - I don't think it would keep anything out. I don't think I have a predator problem, but I know we have rats, cats, etc. around. I took it back and bought 14 gauge 4x2 welded wire. Much stronger, and I got the run finished yesterday. I will go back and add boards at the top and bottom of the fence to staple to later, but it is secure as it.. I will also add either 1/2 inch or 1 inch hardware cloth around the bottom 2'. Hope this helps...


Ty

 

[CityChook]

My daughter's teacher lost her flock last week to a loose neighbor dog. It pulled the (stapled) wire right off the posts. Even if think you have no predators, all it takes is one accident - the pred doesn't even have to be "wild." Go ahead, bite the bullet, spend the money and put up the hardware wire. You'll sleep better at night.

 

[roaminggnome61]

Thanks everyone for your input. I will say that I sleep well at night knowing the girls are esconced behind the hardware cloth. Oh, one reason I believe we do not have an abundance of predators is because we also have 4 dogs. Like Hotel California, critters come in but they never get out! I think I'll just get more hardware cloth.