Hardware cloth eating predators?

[LaurelRidgeDreams]

My chickens come next week, we've just finished the coop/run and now I have visions of hardware cloth eating predators.

We have used 19 gauge, 1/2 inch hardware cloth
everywhere. There isn't more than a 1/2 inch opening anywhere. The top of the run is also covered in this, along with an 18 inch apron around the run, and the windows and screen door of the coop.

Please, has anyone had a predator rip through this stuff?

 

[Imp]

Sounds like you got it covered (Sorry I couldn't resist

)

With everything covered in 1/2" hardware cloth, you only need to worry about lice, mites, and ironman.

Good job

Imp

 

[elmo]

Oh, I know the feeling!

It does get better, somewhat. My chickens were in their hardware cloth covered coop/run all last summer, and then all winter, and all ok. And I was starting to relax.

But now I have two broody hens in nestboxes in one run, with a hen and her newly hatched chicks in the other hardware cloth covered coop/run, and I'm all jittery again. I've gone around checking and double checking the wire for gaps and weak spots, testing the attachments, etc.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Only thing you really have to worry about is bears. All you can do with them is a hot wire.

 

[Rainbow Advaya]

Quote:
How much should you have to worry about bears? Where I live we have black bears that come around, but I've never heard of them tearing anything up. I did however have to postpone beekeeping this year because I couldn't afford an electric fence. Got chickens instead... Would they be after the chickens or after their feed? I'm hoping they just leave the chickens alone. Once I get the money I'm enclosing both the chicken area and the apiary and dividing the apiary off from the chickens with chicken wire to keep them from munching on bees. Now if the bears can just hold off, haha.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I'm not sure who it was but somebody has already lost a flock this year to bears. The bears are after both, they are omnivours and will eat anything that doesn't eat them first. Hot wire is the onlything that is going to keep them out other than having you chooks in a steele building.

 

[Amiga]

LaurelRidgeDreams and I have the exact same concerns.

I have a 4' x 8' house for the ducks, with every opening that is not plywood covered with half inch hardware cloth (plan to add the skirt this week).

There is a similar sized, attached run, hardware cloth on all sides (including top and bottom). The frame sits on concrete blocks on their sides in approximately 10 inch deep trenches, with rocks extending a foot or so on each side.

I bought a fence charger and some equitape to run eletric fence around the structure about six inches from the ground, and again at about four feet off the ground.

I need a battery - was going to a large well known department store for a marine battery.

We have all sorts of predators in town. The other side of the hill, a mile away, are black bears, which I was not that concerned with until I read this topic! We have raccoons, though, and coyotes, hawks, owls, foxes, fishers.

I have had the ducks in the pen and house during the day, and left their food in the pen tonight. We reckon we may find out if anything can get in . . .

 

[LAMchop]

A bear ate my hardware cloth

But the bigger problem was that it also ripped out the staples attaching the hardware cloth to the wood. It was after the chicken's food, but killed all the birds anyway... or maybe they died of fright.

 

[columbiacritter]

Bears and people are your only predators who can get thru that kind of armor. My dogs keep the bears away but I had someone coming in and stealing eggs almost every day until I put padlocks on the coop. There have been other people on here who've had people come in and steal their birds.

 

[KenCoesta]

Shoo!
Bears are one thing, but keeping people out of your stuff is impossible.
I bet a hotwire and a security camera would be hilarious, though!