chicken wire....

[ukchickengirl]

I've read on various threads that you guys dont advise chicken wire to stop preds getting IN, i am planning to use a heavy duty metal mesh in the ground and about half way up the run then chicken wire for the top half of the sides, is this ok?? Not sure what to cover it with yet though as my cat WILL try and climb on the top as we are fixing it to the back of the garage which he climbs onto to sunbathe!!!

Thanks
H x

 

[chickonaroost]

I used heavy welded wire for the whole thing, as I was afraid persistent predators would climb up to the chicken wire and get in. We have a terrible raccoon problem here and I have even found sections of welded wire bent!!! Like little hands tried to pry it apart.
I would reconsider the chicken wire all together.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

I have 2x3 welded wire on the outside and chicken wire half way up on the inside. There is a 6 inch gap between the chicken wire and the welded wire to help keep the little coon hands from reaching into the run as far as they could with the welded wire alone.

 

[cadman68]

I use 2x3 welded wire also but i have a hot wire running along the bottom of the fence and the top of the fence. I have personnaly witnessed it save my chickens from several potential dog attacks. Some people don't like the idea of using an electric fence but i would not have chickens without one.

 

[Freebird]

I'm a big fan of electric fence as well. I use one strand on 5" stand-offs about 4-5" from the ground, and one strand near the top. I went with electric fence because we have lot's of preditors and the prospect of having to bury fencing in the ground to prevent dig-unders was frightening, considering my run is 24' x 40' and I live in the hills of NW Arkansas...you can't dig 1/4" without hitting rock here. Beside, varmits could just climb over anyway, so the top strand will deter that.