Chicken wire strength...

[BYCforlife]

I see so many people against chicken wire. Hardware mesh for the win, I guess.

I buy 1" galvanized chicken wire from my local farm store. It's STRONG!

If everybody talking about how bad chicken wire is means the 2" stuff, you are absolutely correct! That stuff is crazy weak. It feels like it was made from that wire people use for crafts.

I just can't imagine a predator ripping through the chicken wire I have. My cow has access to the inside door of my coop, which is chicken wire. She used it as a scratching wall. It ripped the staples out, but the chicken wire didn't come untwisted or anything.

I use it whenever I make doors for my coops, brooder covers, and windows. Yeah, it stretches, but I have never seen a hole ripped in the wire, nor have I been able to on the scraps I experiment on.

What are your thoughts? Am I underestimating the strength of a hungry animal, or do most people only have access to 2" chicken wire?

 

[roosterhavoc]

Yes. I’ve seen a raccoon chew through a snare made of galvanized air craft cable. It’s not the norm but they can chew and rip apart chicken wire.

 

[Folly's place]

Also, rats and weasels can get through it easily. Only 1/2" hardware cloth will keep them out. For extra protection against large dogs (do you have bears?) I have 2"x4" woven wire over my hardware cloth on the lower 4' of my run.
Chicken wire works fine, until it fails, and you have a pile of dead chickens.
Mary

 

[RWise]

The 1" also seems heavier here, the 2" is not worth tossing in the trash (I will never buy another). I dont have issue with predators ripping any of it up, the chickens put their head through the 2" and pushed, it certainly came unwound.
My issue with the 1" is new hatches can step through it, so it will not do what I need (until the chicks are like 5-10 days old.

 

[chickens really]

I use Mesh because it keeps out the mice too..
I have Chicken wire on my screen door my Husband built. He doubled it up.

 

[aart]

What are your thoughts? Am I underestimating the strength of a hungry animal, or do most people only have access to 2" chicken wire?

I suspect that 1" CW is stronger than 2" CW...there's way more wire and more 'twists' so it's structurally stronger, tho both may be the same gauge wire(diameter of the wire itself). Gauge of wire could be an important difference. 2" holes would be easier for an animal to get it's mouth well into it too.

Yeah, your examples of cows and human hands does not take into account the teeth of hungry carnivores. I think that the folks who swear they've used CW for years and it kept all the predators out, have not actually had the CW challenged by carnivore teeth powered by an empty belly.

Chicken wire works fine, until it fails,

Exactly.

 

[BYCforlife]

I suspect that 1" CW is stronger than 2" CW...there's way more wire and more 'twists' so it's structurally stronger, tho both may be the same gauge wire(diameter of the wire itself). Gauge of wire could be an important difference. 2" holes would be easier for an animal to get it's mouth well into it too.

Yeah, your examples of cows and human hands does not take into account the teeth of hungry carnivores. I think that the folks who swear they've used CW for years and it kept all the predators out, have not actually had the CW challenged by carnivore teeth powered by an empty belly.


Exactly.

At least where I buy it from, the 2" chicken wire is for sure a bigger gauge, and on top of the 4x bigger hole, it is junk.

Ah, that makes sense. I forgot about teeth.

I'm definitely not swearing by it, but I do think it is sufficient where I live.

 

[BYCforlife]

The 1" also seems heavier here, the 2" is not worth tossing in the trash (I will never buy another). I dont have issue with predators ripping any of it up, the chickens put their head through the 2" and pushed, it certainly came unwound.
My issue with the 1" is new hatches can step through it, so it will not do what I need (until the chicks are like 5-10 days old.

Wow, that is weaker than I even said!

 

[BYCforlife]

Also, rats and weasels can get through it easily. Only 1/2" hardware cloth will keep them out. For extra protection against large dogs (do you have bears?) I have 2"x4" woven wire over my hardware cloth on the lower 4' of my run.
Chicken wire works fine, until it fails, and you have a pile of dead chickens.
Mary

That definitely is a tie breaker if you have rats/weasels.

We have the odd bear come through, but our area isn't actually known for having bears.

 

[BYCforlife]

I use Mesh because it keeps out the mice too..
I have Chicken wire on my screen door my Husband built. He doubled it up.

That helps! I also use hardware mesh sometimes. For example, I built a separating wall. To keep the chickens from pecking each other through it, I made the bottom 3 feet hardware mesh.