Fencing??????????????????

[chicks for better health]

What is the best wire to use for a chicken run? And for a chicken tractor? Is 1" Chicken Wire safe? How tall should it be for a run?

Where can you get large quantity at low cost.

Thanks

 

[Nugget]

I have been very happy with our 2" square welded wire (something like 14 ga?)
The chicken breeder we get our chicks from showed me a hole his Australorp rooster tore through poultry netting (chicken wire) to attack the rooster in the next cage, so chicken wire is not very secure.

 

[BaronRenfrew]

where to get wire cheap?

Good luck. It was "special" garbage day last week and I lucked out with wood frames with chicken wire used for some climbing plant (grapes?) put out to the curb.

If you have the time you might get lucky at yard sales, auctions, or landfills. How much work do you want to do for cheap wire?

Oil and metal prices have all gone up recently so don't expect bargains on wire.

 

[Beekissed]

Keep an eye out for old chain link...I swear that stuff doesn't deteriorate at all! I lucked into about 100 ft of chain link and 3 gates when I offered to tear down an old building for the lumber. All the fence posts and fasteners also! Just keep your ears and eyes open and use word of mouth. I mentioned to a guy at church I was looking for scrap lumber and, man, did I luck out!!! Good luck!

 

[Davaroo]

Yep. Keep an eye out for old fences that are no longer in use and can be removed for the labor. Theres about 200 yards just down the road from ny house I'm eyeing...

Heavy farm wire fencing is best for perimeter barriers. 2 x 4 is good. Plain old chicken wire is fine for chickens, but won't do much against a determined predator.

Oh and electric wire. Lets not forget the joys of electric wire!

 

[chicks for better health]

How tall should the run be? Will the 2 x 4 keep out preditors?

 

[BaronRenfrew]

To stop digging pred its good to go 8 inches underground.

I've used snow fence at 4 feet and some birds needed clipped wings and other birds didn't. Broilers, cochins, tend not to fly. RIR's, leghorns, bantams, dark cornish, all will fly over that if not clipped.

As a general rule 6 feet is good.

 

[Davaroo]

Baron is right. If you are not clipping their wings, then 6 feet high is a minimum.

Chickens are not great flyers, per se. Not like hawks or crows. And much is breed dependent - the larger heavies dont fly as well as the lighter breeds.

But they can manage some fairly surprising hopping flights over short distances. They are bred from jungle fowl and so are able to get up into low branches. Plus, there is always at least one that is extra energetic and seems to be unstoppable.

If your goal is to keep them confined without top netting, then wing clipping is the best answer.

Another option on pred control is to extend the fence wire out away from the main fence, parallel to the ground and just buried below it. Then when digging preds hit the wire, they are (hopefully) deterred.
And dont forget the Joy of Electric Wire.