Fencing for chicken run

Winchester42

Hatching
Feb 1, 2015
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I am building a chicken pen and was wondering what kind of wire to use? I've heard hardware cloth is better than chicken wire for keeping predators out, but what gauge would i need? would a wire with 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch spaces be small enough? It also says 19 gauge. We have some pretty bad predator problems in my area, they've killed 5 clutches of chicks already and many litters of kittens that we haven't found in time. How high would the wire need to be to keep chickens in and other anuimals out? Is 3 feet high enough, or do I need to go higher?
 
No advice on the wire gauge but I've had a dog jump a six foot fence so unless it has a wire ceiling 3 foot will be useless at keeping anything out.
 
Chickens (and most predators) will easily get over 3' fencing. 1/2" wire is the standard, smaller is ok, anything larger and some predators can bypass it. 19 guage is also standard - it can keep most things out that any other available guage could keep out - it won't stop bears and such, but generally, other wire options that aren't electric won't stop a determined bear either.
 
If you have severe predator problems, you'll need to build a really strong run with hardware cloth over every opening, sides, top, and even extending 18" under ground or in an apron 2 feet out from the sides.

Predators are smart and determined. They'll find every weakness in your set-up, so you'll need to over-build a bit.

You could also look into electric wire and/or electronet fencing, but fencing doesn't protect from hawks.

Good luck!
 

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