Hardware Cloth or Poultry Fenceing...

[mommto3kiddos]

Im so confused.. I went and got some poultry fenceing from the hardware store (1/2"). Then I was told no use it and get me some hardware cloth, its worth the extra cost to keep critters out.. So I was heading out to exchange my fence for cloth and was just told by a friend dont waste your money as it holds up as good as chicken wire.. The same friend said to "electrify" the fence, but I have small kids..

GRRR - What is your opinion and what did you use for your coop..

My potential predetors will be cats, dogs, and the occassional possible norway rat (Ive seen one hanging around my neighbors wood pile!

 

[Robert Boyd]

Quote:
I used welded wire to keep out the buggers and added chicken wire over ours at the bottom to keep the fuzzy butts:^}

 

[AlienChick]

I would say if you only have cute little itty bitty kitties peeking at your chickens, then the chicken wire should be okay.

If you have any dogs around that are larger than a cute itty bitty kitten, then chicken wire won't do anything to deter a dog looking for a free chicken dinner.

The hardware cloth would be a wise choice. The lower the "gauge" the stronger the wire.

 

[flowergirl60]

Uh, chicken wire does NOT hold up as good as hardware cloth for predators. Chicken wire is to keep chickens IN. Not predators OUT.

 

[MobyQuail]

Quote:
I agree here. We used old chainlink dog kennels, then wrapped in hardware cloth at the base and chicken wire at the top. nobody in or out without a password.

if you are making a small coop with staples and such, I would use the half inch hardware cloth and then trim it out over the top with wood trim to really tie it all together.,

if it is a run area you may be able to get away with (except for the rat) 1"X1" welded wire, I think it may be a little cheaper than hardware cloth and comes in 4 foot heights by 50 feet. 1x2 inch welded wire also works great for some as a run fencing too.

good luck! it is worth the bit of extra money over chicken wire to keep them safer and for you to sleep sounder.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Poultry fencing is just another name for chicken wire. And chicken wire will do nothing to keep out dogs or rats. Dogs can rip right through chicken wire like it's not even there and rats can chew through it fairly quickly. I would have loved to build my entire run out of hardware cloth, but at 10x10' it just wasn't something we could afford. Instead, we bought 5' tall "garden fencing" (welded wire) and wrapped the bottom 2 feet or so with chicken wire to keep the chickens' heads inside the run and out of the mouth of any predator that might find it's way into our yard. It's not fort knox by any means, but it's good enough for our urban backyard. Between our chainlink fence and 2 large dogs that go out in the yard frequently our biggest predator concern is the neighborhood hawk and raccoons/'possums at night if we forget to shut the pop door on the coop. If my MIL hadn't already given her old dog run to someone else the year before we got chickens we would have us a nice chain-link run, wrapped with chicken wire at the bottom.

 

[CutnAndStrutn]

hardware clothe is the best option. we have chicken/rat snakes that can fit though the holes in chicken wire so thats why we went with the hardware clothe on our origninal run, and when i get done with the new and inproved run/coop i will use it for atleast the first 3 or 4 ft fromt he ground up if not all the way on up on the sides.

 

[mommto3kiddos]

OK if I do Hardware Cloth all around the coop and run do you think it would be ok to top the run with the poultry fenceing?

 

[lady feathers]

Your friend wasn't comepletly wrong... using chicken wire with electric fence should keep out a majority of predators however you have to run it at different hieghts and take into consideration that some animals don't access your coop from the ground they also come from the sky and from trees nearby, this is what can make it difficult if your run isn't in a very open place (rather than in the woods or up against a fence, etc... ) Also keep in mind I said most! Some animals like a dog on a rampage will not necessarily stop an attack because a a small "poke" from a hot line. You would have to get some good voltage running and as you mentioned you have small children. While kids can be taught what a "hot" wire means, it may not be a lesson you are ready to teach them. Also, it depends on how often your chickens are in the run and time of day..... I would feel comfortable running chicken wire/poultry netting with electric fence around my run if my birds were in a very open location and only spent part of the day in it, probably not If they had all day access and I wasn't going to be close by. But, if that wa what I chose to use I would have to be ok with the occasional/expected loss.... might be something you are willing to do with a few meat birds, but maybe not with a handful of pet chickens. Good luck with your decision, there is no absolute right and/or wrong way.... just try to use common sense and consider your needs/surroundings and the types of predators within those surroundings!

 

[Hegatha]

I did the poultry wire and also the welded wire. I used poultry wire on top to keep birds out.