Chicken wire

[neguyinky]

I was thinking of using some "Premium Grade Birdwire" Which is probably just hex chicken wire from this farm website.

http://www.farmerboyag.com/wire-netting/Premium-Grade-Birdwire.asp

I know people say to use the welded wire or the hardware cloth, but I really cant afford to build something as big as I'd like with those more expensive options. I wonder what peoples opinions of making the coop with hardware cloth, but using the chicken wire for the run.

With that in mind, I would then close the run off and lock them up in the coop at night and allow them to use the run all day while I'm at work and let them out to range after I've gotten home.

I'm in Kentucky and I have raccoons, possums, fox, hawks, and very very rarely a coyote in my back field, but the coop is way closer to the garage\house.

Thoughts?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Locked in a secure coop at night with hardware cloth on the big windows, you'll be relatively safe with the chickens in a chicken wire covered pen.
A big dog can tear into that though. The hawks can be thwarted with a cover over it. Possums and raccoons are primarily nighttime predators. Foxes are jumpers, climbers and diggers but are late afternoon and night predators.
Coyotes can be anytime of the day but mostly at night.

I've lost hundreds of chickens to predators and they could have been saved by more due diligence with materials, automatic coop doors and construction techniques.

The birds I've lost would have paid for the 10 automatic coop doors I needed.

 

[Sylviaanne]

Locked in a secure coop at night with hardware cloth on the big windows, you'll be relatively safe with the chickens in a chicken wire covered pen.
A big dog can tear into that though. The hawks can be thwarted with a cover over it. Possums and raccoons are primarily nighttime predators. Foxes are jumpers, climbers and diggers but are late afternoon and night predators.
Coyotes can be anytime of the day but mostly at night.

I've lost hundreds of chickens to predators and they could have been saved by more due diligence with materials, automatic coop doors and construction techniques.

The birds I've lost would have paid for the 10 automatic coop doors I needed.

I was just talking to my husband about those doors but couldn't a fox or raccoon get in during the day, hide and get the birds when you lock them in?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I was just talking to my husband about those doors but couldn't a fox or raccoon get in during the day, hide and get the birds when you lock them in?

"Could" they -yes, are they likely to, no. That is not the typical MO of a fox or raccoon in regards to their attacks on the flock.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That is possible but unlikely. If they are around, they'll grab a chicken. They won't hide to attack after dark.

 

[Sylviaanne]

I have enlarged my run and plan on putting 2 layers of chicken wire around it to try to keep the predators away. I am also thinking of getting some of those solar powered sensors. I do plan on getting a baby monitor but need to know the brand that you got, ChickenCanoe.

I have had 2 small pullets and a black hen disappear in the last week. The trap is set every night but although it gets tripped, nothing is in it.

 

[Folly's place]

Use hardware cloth and 2"x4" woven wire horse fencing instead. Chicken wire gives a false sense of security. mary

 

[Sylviaanne]

Use hardware cloth and 2"x4" woven wire horse fencing instead. Chicken wire gives a false sense of security. mary

Problem is money and I already have used chicken wire. That is why I will put 2 layers around it. I will look up the horse fencing. Lots of things I haven't heard of and that is one of them. Thanks for the information! Sylvia

 

[donrae]

This is really a personal thing, and depends on your predator assessment and risk tolerance. If your birds are your precious pets and you'd be devastated to lose one to a predator, go the extra mile. If your birds are livestock and you understand livestock attracts predators from time to time, and you can accept the financial loss, you can go with less fencing.

I rely heavily on my dog for predator deterrent. My main run is chicken wire, overlaid with 2x4 wire horse fencing around the bottom. The wire is 4ft high, and the chicken wire goes 7ish feet high. There's no roof or cover to the run. Birds of prey don't seem to be an issue for me, I think they're more attracted to the river a few miles away. Could a raccoon come in and wipe out my flock? Yep. Has one, in the 12 years I've lived here? Nope. I know they're around, but between my dog and the neighbor's, we seem to keep them at bay.

My grow-out pen is 5 foot tall horse panels, with 4x4 openings. I overlaid these with chicken wire, more to keep chicks in than for predators. This has a light netting over top, again more to keep little birds in than predators out.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have enlarged my run and plan on putting 2 layers of chicken wire around it to try to keep the predators away. I am also thinking of getting some of those solar powered sensors. I do plan on getting a baby monitor but need to know the brand that you got, ChickenCanoe.

I have had 2 small pullets and a black hen disappear in the last week. The trap is set every night but although it gets tripped, nothing is in it.

I have this Safety 1st model. It was on sale at target when I went shopping.
http://safety1st.djgusa.com/en/djgusa/high-def-digital-monitor
It works pretty well but occasionally the baby/sending unit needs the power cycled to keep the receiving unit from getting static.
The coops average about 400 ft. from my solid brick house and I can hear a mosquito in the coop with it.

Mink attacked again last night. The baby monitor alerted me but it was in the process of killing the 5th chicken before I got there. I tried to stomp it but it ran out the door. I'm going to reset the traps now.
A big coon can grab the food from a hav-a-hart and back out without being caught and a mink or weasel can squeeze out after it trips.
Conibears are best for mink and weasels and duke type dog proof leg traps work best for coons.