I have heard that various animals can get through chicken wire. Is it generally recommended to use chicken wire or hardware cloth for making a run?
Based on the stories I have heard around here, if you have any type of predator that can get through chicken wire (like a raccoon), it will if you use chicken wire alone for the run. Some folk use chicken wire, but run a 2-3 ft. apron of hardwire cloth at the bottom.
Definitley hardware cloth. Don't waste the money on chicken wire. Raccoons and dogs can get throught chicken wire. Chicken wire is to keep chickens in not predators out. Hardware cloth is more expensive but well worth it. Good luck
I used 1/2 inch 19 gauge hardware cloth and it's great. I have no worries about a break in from dogs or raccoons. I actually found it to be much cheaper on amazon.com believe it or not, since it was eligible for free shipping with amazon prime.
Don't even bother buying chicken wire for anything. I would recommend using .5" x .5" galv hardware cloth/wire every place you need wire, possiums and coons can reach thru chicken wire, mice, rats, and snakes can crawl thru it and coyotes can bust/chew thru it as well as, other predators, it's pretty much worthless. If you want to save money then just use hardware wire around the bottom and go with a thick gauge galv livestock fencing around the upper areas.
I have to agree. Hardware Cloth is the way to go. A friend just recently lost all but 1 chicken to a raccoon that got threw the Chicken Wire.
Thanks for the replies. About once a week my dog wakes up, runs outside, and trees a raccoon in the middle of the night. I will use hardware cloth. It just seemed like chicken wire would have been so much easier to work with. It is a small run 6' long 4' wide and 5' high, so it should not be too bad.
We used 2 x 4 welded wire fencing and put chicken wire on the bottom 4 feet so nothing can reach through. It still makes me nervous though but I'm not the one financing the project. We did bury the welded wire about a foot and the top is covered too.
Quote:It is harder to work with I know. DH and I just finished putting hardware cloth over our chicken wire because we are going out of town and won't be able to supervise the girls in their run. I wish I had not wasted all the money and time on the chicken wire only to have to go over it with hardware cloth. Oh well, lesson learned. Good luck with your run.
I found chicken wire much harder to work with . So everything ended up being in hardware cloth . It was really much easier to work with but to know sturdier & safer for the chickeys a plus.
