Hardware Cloth 1/2 inch vs. 1/4 inch

[joebryant]

The walls/posts on the outdoor run that I'm building now will be eight feet tall (ten feet with two feet in ground). My world will go around a lot faster if I use two rows of 4-foot high 1/2-inch hardware cloth because I cannot find 4-foot high 1/4-inch, only 3 foot. What are the benefits of having 1/4 inch along the bottom of the run; can a coon reach through 1/2 inch? If so, I'll use 1/4 inch and plan to do something else with the top one foot of the posts.

 

[arlee453]

I think 1/2" would be fine. not much of anything can get through 1/2" squares that wouldn't be eaten by the chickens before it could get them!

A paw small enough to get through 1/2" wouldn't be large enough to do much, if any damage...

 

[ibpboo]

It seems 1/2" should be fine. How wide and long will the coop be?

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I prefer 1/2", as it is usually made with a larger, stronger gauge of wire than the 1/4". That's a good thing!

1/4" will keep out mice, which 1/2" won't. I don't care about that. I just care about keeping things out that will attack my chickens. We've never had a mouse problem in the coop, anyway.

1/2" will keep out rats.

 

[Alaskan]

Up here we have a stoat (tiny weasel) problem. They will kill chickens even though they are so small. For them, you would need to get the 1/4" wire. And every size wire should come in different gages. The gage of the wire is how thick / strong it is.

Maybe ask around and see what predators cause the most problems in your area?

 

[joebryant]

Thanks, Alaskan, Woodlandwoman, Ibpboo, and arlee453 for your advice/experience. I went to Home Depot yesterday and bought two 25-foot rolls of the 1/2 inch that's 48 inches wide plus some extra.

There was a third roll of 1/2 inch that I first picked up and put in my cart. Then I picked up the second of the three rolls that they had; that one felt much heavier than the former, so I put the first one back and took the third one instead. I took the light-weight one to the manager and told her about it. She said someone had bought it, used part of it, and returned the rest for a FULL refund. Talk about TACKY!
She marked the third roll down 75%, so I got it for about $13. When I got home, I measured it, and there was 12 feet in the roll. So I now have 62 feet of 48 inch wide 1/2 hardware cloth, and I'm all set to go finishing up the two walls/gates; the garage walls are the other two walls. Thanks again!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Those stoats sound nasty. I think the smallest we have to worry about down here is the lesser weasel and the 1/2" is supposed to keep them out.

 

[FisherMOM]

Quote:
some people are unbelievable! And to think that they actually GAVE them a DISCOUNT? they are just as wrong!