DONT USE THIS FENCE!!! NEED TO READ!!!

[jay1995]

Dont use the rectangular hole fencing for your chickens, yes they can get heads through and peck the fresh dirt but its dangerous for your animal. My chicken Peep was a Rhode Island Red rooster he had his head out side of the coop, through the holes eating and a racoon pulled his head off through the fence. So we put chicken wire around the bottom of the coop and now it hasnt happend again. And I forgot to say it was the first night we put them in there that this happened. RIP Peep. Please keep this from happening to your chickens.

 

[ranchhand]

Thanks for the reminder! Sorry about Peep.

 

[Katy]

I use that type of fencing for some of my runs.....but I covered the bottom 3 or 4 feet with hardware type wire.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
Me too and I'm going to use it in my new run too because it is very sturdy. I covered the top half with chicken wire just to be safe, but I always "overkill" everything I do when it comes to my girls. My run is like Fort Knox!

 

[BeardedChick]

Quote:
Same here. I use either the no-climb fence (2"x4" holes) or that type and then cover it. It's easy to cover it with chicken wire if you have one of those hog ring pliers and the wire pieces (available at the big box hardware stores).

I'm sorry something got your rooster. :-( As a heads up, I have heard of coons pulling a chicken through chicken wire also, but have no first hand knowledge of it.

If I were you, I think about running a HOT electric wire and sizzling some racoon hide (if you can't put some buckshot into them).

 

[speckledhen]

I always use welded wire fencing, but you have to wrap a couple of feet up with hardware cloth so nothing can reach in and get your birds. It's the strongest thing to use, IMO. Most is 14 guage thickness, but some name brands are much weaker due to the alloy used. For example, Red Brand, sold by Lowe's here, is stronger than the cheapie stuff with lots of broken welds that Home Depot sells, though both are 14 guage. Both still must have the openings shored up with smaller wire.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Yes, I forgot to say I am sorry about your rooster

I always hate to hear about someone losing a chicken.

I attached my hardware cloth and chicken wire with tie wraps. Lol took forever but it's very secure. The girls don't bother them at all and because it took so long, I got to spend lots of time with them "talking"

 

[tdgill]

good info, since i had a coon on my back deck a few weeks ago, and i live in a development. We also had rats around a few years ago, I stopped feeding dogs on the deck. My rottie was a ratter tho. she did quick work on them. I bet we have more predators in developed areas than in the country! Looking for easy meals, garbage etc.

honey, can we make a hardware cloth screen door for the barn door side of the shed.....for the chickens?

 

[happyheart]

How tall do you generally have your fencing? My girls are free to roam but we have had so many coyotes this past fall i am afraid of what spring will bring.

 

[ncCHICKS]

My chickens stick their head through that and chainlink, thats why they have hardware mesh around it, sorry for your loss