What is the best wire or fencing? I have all kinds of predators here so we know to put a top over the run and make sure everyone is in at night, but need ideas on the type of material to build the run itself.
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Hi Peggy,
Short answer: hardware cloth. 1/4"
Though, as you've probably gathered by my name I'm a noob to all this, but I've been doing a bunch of reading. First off, a raccoon or fox can easily get through standard chicken wire. It's simply flimsy wire twisted around itself that they can pull apart.
What you need is hardware cloth extending at least three feet up (depending on predators) and about a foot into the ground. (Alternatively you can extend it outwards and weight it down, as these predators dig and do not burrow.)
From there up if you want to save some money you can *try* chicken wire. I guess maybe a raccoon could figure to climb up four feet or so and try from there, but I just envision it repeatedly falling off.....
I'm not familiar with the green wire as the other poster stated, but it sounds like gardening fence to me. Much like chicken wire, it can contain a chicken, but it won't keep a fox, dog or raccoon out. Idk how high you plan on making your run, but it'd be pretty easy to skimp once you get a few feet up. Squirrels would naturally be able to get in and get at food, and I've read some sights that say that squirrels are a natural predator....I just don't see it. I doubt even a large gray squirrel would mess with a flock of chickens. They eat mice after all.....
As far as protecting from above, kite string will do. If you 'net' the area off no hawk or owl will mess with it. ( You can pretty much just zig-zag it.) If they try they'll be in for a rude awakening as soon as they get tangled up. But then again, you could have squirrels going after the food.
If you really want them to be safe and happy, hardware cloth all over.
If you want to test nature and save a bit, go with hardware cloth (buried or extended) a few feet up, chicken wire surrounding the top parts and any type of string over the top.
Idk where all those spaces came from.....but chicken wire is perfectly acceptable for keeping chickens in. It doesn't keep predators out though.