fencing...

[kansas_twister]

ok i've got all the wood for building my coop.....i'm going with what judy did, made it out of pallets, my coop will be built of totallyl recycled stuff....here's my really stupid question... can i use regular chain link fencing for my chicken run or should i use chicken wire...., my chiken will be in the coop at night

 

[fowlweatherfriends]

Most here do NOT reccomend chicken wire. The wire is too flimsy, rusts easily, and predators can reach in and grab a chicken, pull it to the fence and eat it through the fence.

Chain link is sturdy, but same thing, predator can grab a chicken.

I use 1/2 in welded wire or "hardware" cloth from Lowes. It goes up nice, snakes can't make it through the holes, and neither can a coon. It holds up well in weather, seems resistant to rust, and is fairly easy to work with.

You be the judge, and ask yourself how much your chickens are worth to you in the long run-predators being the biggest fencing issue.

Best wishes!

 

[Critter Crazy]

if you have chicks they will be able to escape, unless you place a 1/2" wire along the bottom as a temporary measure till they get bigger, but once they are bigger it should be fine.

 

[mlheran]

I, too, am building my coop out of recycled materials but I've found that the one area that it really pays to buy new is the fencing. Chicken wire is just way too weak to span large areas and to offer any real protection from determined predators. Chain-link is definitely sturdy but is too "open" for predators. You can supplement it with a "skirt" of hardware cloth along the bottom, but snakes and rats may climb it to crawl through the chain-link. Also, if you're in an area with AI or other bird-carried sicknesses, chain-link will not keep the wild birds out. Sparrows, Starlings, and all sorts of winged things fly and hop through my dog's kennel all the time.

It seems the best bet is to invest in some quality hardware cloth -it will pay you back over time (and with peace of mind)!

 

[kansas_twister]

thnx guys, these are grown chicken that we're taking in, we live on a horse farm so i have all sorts of fencing but looked at the chicken wire and thought it would not make good fencing, the hubby and i go to all sorts of farm auctions...hence the fencing

 

[kansas_twister]

oops for got to add that the chain link fence will be for the ground up and i'll use the chicken wire that i already have to close off the top of the run for now, the coop will be one side of my work shed and my horse's padock run behind it but i'm thinking of making abby's padock bigger and in inclosing the coop and run with in the paddock, abby is part pony part watch dog

 

[allen wranch]

You can use the chain link and put chicken wire on the inside, hardware cloth around the bottom if you get chicks. The main thing that is hard to predator proof with chain link is the gate. There are usually good size gaps between the gate and posts.

If you have horses, you may have some welded wire around the place. It is sturdy enough for most predators, but I would still put chicken wire on the inside for more protection.