Chicken wire strength...

[BYCforlife]

BYCfprlife
you build it and they will come..
You are living in a dream world if you really believe what you wrote..
I had a dog chew through a cyclone wire kennel..
a 110 pound dog similar to the one in my avatar..

Wow! Then hardware mesh doesn't stand a chance either. Good to know.

 

[paneubert]

Wow! Then hardware mesh doesn't stand a chance either. Good to know.

When just briefly considering it, your comment makes a lot of sense. But when you take a second, the logic doesn't hold.

In my opinion, it is equally about "leverage" as it is actual wire thickness when it comes to predator proof claims. One of the points of using hardware cloth is the opening are almost always either half inch, if not quarter inch. An animal might be able to wedge a tooth in there to try to bite, but it is much harder to accomplish than when dealing with a 1 or 2 inch opening. Also, due to the smaller weave, if they do start a hole, they are met with super sharp wires that are now digging into their gums/tongue. With chicken wire, the opening just peels back and away due to the "weaker" wire being more flexible.

 

[paneubert]

Part of me just thinks about how much I hate having to cut hardware cloth versus chicken wire. Hahaha. Seriously. If I hate cutting hardware cloth due to the extra time it takes, think about the predators trying to chew it. My cramped hand tells the tale after a couple hours of building! When I use chicken wire on less sensitive areas of my coop/run, I feel like it is no work at all.

 

[BYCforlife]

When just briefly considering it, your comment makes a lot of sense. But when you take a second, the logic doesn't hold.

In my opinion, it is equally about "leverage" as it is actual wire thickness when it comes to predator proof claims. One of the points of using hardware cloth is the opening are almost always either half inch, if not quarter inch. An animal might be able to wedge a tooth in there to try to bite, but it is much harder to accomplish than when dealing with a 1 or 2 inch opening. Also, due to the smaller weave, if they do start a hole, they are met with super sharp wires that are now digging into their gums/tongue. With chicken wire, the opening just peels back and away due to the "weaker" wire being more flexible.

I definitely agree.

It all comes down to availability in my area. If I find 5 or 6 foot tall hardware mesh, I would definitely give it a try on any new runs I build.

The only 1/2" hardware mesh I can find is from the U.S. $300 plus who knows how much shipping.

 

[cmom]

I just came across this thread. I use 1" chicken wire around the perimeter of my pens but have welded wire in-between the pens. It was hard to change the wire separating the pens so I put welded wire between the pens. The chicken wire is good for a few years then needs to be replaced. I hope since putting the welded wire up last spring that I won't have to change that again. I have had no issues so far of critters destroying the chicken wire to get at the birds but I do have electric wire around all of my pens and coops.
This is a video of a coyote at the grow-out coop yesterday morning. I posted this in another thread. Last spring I replaced the wire.

 

[paneubert]

That coyote almost seemed scared of the number of birds. Haha.

 

[aart]

That coyote almost seemed scared of the number of birds. Haha.

He knows that hot wire is there.

 

[cmom]

He probably tested it once and that was enough.