Economical Fencing Options and Techniques

[Chirpy]

Everybody has covered this really well but you still seem a little confused so I thought I'd try to recap...

Yes, use the 2x4 welded wire - predators cannot get through it. However, raccoons and even cats can reach in and grab a chicken and pull it back through or the chicken will reach through the wire with it's head and get taken. SO, wrap the bottom two feet or so with 1" (not larger holes) chicken wire and bury that at least a foot (15 inches is better) into the ground.

Any place you can use hardware cloth totally stops all predators, but it is very expensive. (If you can make your whole run out of hardware cloth you don't need 2x4 wire.)

Good luck ... you will be glad you put the money in up front when you don't lose any chickens.

 

[snakyjake]

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I live in Western Washington. We only have small garden snakes.

 

[snakyjake]

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Thanks for the link. This will help me reduce the costs, and build a better fence.

 

[coffeelady3]

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I live in Western Washington. We only have small garden snakes.

I'm in Western Washington too, and Tacoma's a fairly large city. Even though this is a completely urban setting, there's plenty of opossums and raccoons around. You probably have them too, you just haven't spotted them yet. Plan for them.

 

[moenmitz]

I feel you pain! This was our first time with chickens, and all of the lumber and fencing was a big expense! I couldnt do it exactly the way i would have liked to either, pockets are not unlimited, so here is what worked for us!

Ask on freecycle and craigslist for used fencing- you would be amazed what people will give away. I got steel T-Posts for 41 each, milk crates for nesting boxes, and even a few wood posts. I also found a LOT of my fencing on curbs during our junk pick up week- people used it on their gardens and then threw it out, not a thing wrong with it. Granted, my husband pretends not to know me when I am curb shopping, but I am all about FREE!!

Second suggestion is to surround your perimeter witha few strands of electric fence if you must use a less predator proof fence, like poultry netting or welded wire. A couple strands of hot wire is inexpensive, pretty easy to DIY, and will teach a nasty lesson to any raccoons or dogs that come sniffing around. Weasels and snakes would probably be able to slip by without getting zapped, but it would afford you protection against the larger predators that would otherwise rip your fence apart.

Hope this helps!

 

[dirtdoctor]

They make a small woven wire, RED TOP i think is the manufacture. spend it right once, you will wont regret it. I ordered the electric netting from KENCOVE.com 164 feet for $150.00
It only weighs 15 pounds and has the stakes connected to the netting, pulg it in to the charger and your preditor problems just might be over. I should get the fencing this week.
These free rangers have had full run of the property and they ahve eaten over 2pounds of heritage seeds that sprouted and were about 3inches tall. (the fencing was on backorder for a couple months) This week we replant the corn and instal the fencing........it will be nice not having to FEED these critters so much from a bag. Coyotes should get a good zap too, from the hotdogs installed on the electric fence.

the welded wire will allow chicks thru, and even the older girls will attempt to stuff thier birdbrained bodies thru the smaller wire...
any preditor will snag one thru the wire if it can get close enough at night.

Jack

 

[snakyjake]

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Thanks for the great explanations to help me understand the purposes of the different fence. I'm hoping not to learn the harder way.

If chicken wire is used to supplement the welded wire, wouldn't a hungry predator (dog or raccoon) possibly chew it up, hence the need for hardware cloth or fence repairs?

Or was the hardware cloth mostly suggested for someone who wasn't going to use welded wire?

Or was the hardware cloth mostly suggested to keep out smaller predators that chicken wire can't keep out?

I like the idea of chicken wire because it is cheaper, but I'm okay with spending the necessary money if the chickens will benefit.

If I'm going to buy hardware cloth, it would probably be more prudent to buy enough to use for the entire run and forgo using welded wire. However, I haven't see hardware cloth tall enough to cover 5' tall, while having enough to bury 1' deep, and 1' outwards.

I was thinking of using welded wire + hardware cloth or chicken wire.
Thinking:
5'+ tall of welded wire (not buried unless I can get 6' or taller, then bury 1')
2' tall of cloth or chicken wire, not buried
1' buried cloth or chicken wire
1' buried outward cloth/chicken wire

Thoughts on the chicken wire vs. hardware cloth?
Is this a good frugal plan?

Thanks,

Jake
Western Washington

 

[silkiechicken]

I too am in western wa and about coons, they work in packs in the fall. I've had birds scared to one side by one coon and then have another coon grab the birds as they ran into the wire on each side. They are smart, so smart I had one learn how to open the door latch.

One thing I suggest is to lock up the coop at night. Lots of work but if there is a breach in the run during the night, they can still be safe. That way you will only have to worry about the day animals. I free range without fences so take losses as they come.

Hardware cloth prevents pulling out of birds and entry of smaller animals, and exit of smaller birds. If it were me, just do the hard ware cloth, or welded wire with chicken wire over it. My coops are portable, so no wire is burried. I have had losses from digging coons, but am proactive at the problem now.

Best of luck.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Chickens also like to nap underneath things or against things. Inside a run, that is sometimes up against the fencing.

 

[ravenfeathers]

hardware cloth is in lieu of welded wire, not in conjunction, if that makes your wallet feel better.

anything with larger openings, IMO, is an engraved invitation to raccoons and weasels. i feel your pain, though. that HC is incredibly pricey. do shop around, because i've found extravagant price differences, from $100 for 100 ft. of 3' HC to almost $300 for the same dimensions!!