Chicken Wire

[AccidentalFarm]

I opened the package of chicken wire yesterday and was surprised at how flimsy the stuff seemed to be. I've used it before, some 10 years ago or so, and I just did not recall it being so...well, crappy. Does chicken wire come in different gauges? Why do I remember it being better quality years ago??

I am concerned now that a determined predator could get through this stuff- has anyone had this happen? I don't mean getting in through gaps and holes- I mean has anyone had anything break through the wire?

I have 4x2 horse fencing I can use, but would prefer not to as it is waaay expensive. I'd just like to make sure this flimsy chicken wire will hold BEFORE I fence my coop yard and find out the hard way.

 

[mudhen]

Absolutely! It is a whole lot flimsier than it used to be! The stuff they sell now is so plyable I worry about predators just pushing it out of the way too. I certainly hope nothing breaks throught the wire! I just don't trust it by itself, though.
I have found some heavier gauge chicken wire, but a premium cost

Don't have a name, but it was also coated with black and seemed a bit stiffer. Still not like the stuff used to be.

What I ended up doing is using the 2x4 hardwire and covering the lower portion of the run with chicken wire as a secondary barrier. THe older part of the run has a combination of chicken wire and 2x4 hardwire as the roof. The new run roof I went ahead and spent the money for hardwire 1x2.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

The stuff these days is worthless!

I've ended up using 1/2inch hardware cloth all the way around the bottom of my run which is an old dog kennel. I covered the top with chicken wire-2layers thick and tied that onto some long branches I've laid across the top for support.

When funds become available, I'll be putting on a better roof. For now I keep my fingers, toes and eyes crossed that nothing chews it's way thru the top.

Coyote

 

[Sugar Sand Farm]

Chicken wire is definiitly not for the birds. We used it in our first coop and yard. A opossum just stretched the wire and came in Ended up killed all but three birds. Now we use 1 inch fencing around our yard