Hardware cloth versus welded wire.

[writerskramp]

Hardware cloth is more stout and much, much more expensive.. a shotgun shell is inexpensive.. even at current hyper inflated prices..

 

[NatJ]

you might want to look into getting an inexpensive .22. it will help reduce the predator population.

Only if you use it right. I know someone who tried to shoot a predator, and hit one of their own animals by mistake.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

I assume 19 gauge is better than this 16 gauge?

No, smaller number thicker wire

 

[Vaughnr007]

It's bent over but not really wrapped around that I can see.
Raccoons are crazy strong.

Boy, I maybe in trouble! I'm building an 48'x48' aviary attached to the bird coop. The top 6' is 1" poultry wire. And the bottom 2' hardware cloth with another 1' - 2' buried. I just can't imagine a racoon breaking the poultry wire so I assumed the key is attaching it. 1.25" staples with an air stapler every inch. Comments?
Stainless steel staples

 

[Bill752]

We've used zip ties for the past 2 years to hold our smaller wire to our 2x4 wire, wire cage clips would be better as it would last longer but the zip ties has worked great for us. We have a humane trap in the garden just outside the chicken pen hoping to catch a coon before it finds our chicks in the brooder shed but so far we had 3 chickens get into the garden & caught in the trap. Inside our brooder shed we just had 2 snakes get in but were disposed of being we put any chicks inside.

 

[BesideStillWaters]

It's bent over but not really wrapped around that I can see.
Raccoons are crazy strong.

Yes.

I keep finding this out in new ways. Two nights ago when I peeked outside before bed to see if he was back out there, I saw him on top of the chicken house and he was chewing on the roof. One panel up there is a fiberglass panel. My dad thought it would be cool to have a skylight up there. The raccoon decided to rip it apart to drop into the house. So I was out there until after 5am putting metal over the skylight. Ugh!

it turned out to be a blessing. The metal panels weren't all nailed down anymore, so he could have lifted the metal up and got in whenever he wanted. So I fixed that too while I was up there.

 

[BesideStillWaters]

Have you seen cage clips? They take special pliers. The clips and pliers are both inexpensive.

I'll look into that. I think I know what they are because my grandpa made rabbit cages years ago, but I didn't know how he did it.

 

[BesideStillWaters]

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/catalog/cage-clips

This is what they look like.

Oh, we are probably making a run to Tractor Supply really soon anyway, I'll see if these are in stock, thank you!

 

[BesideStillWaters]

I am starting over, we went with a pretty large square and chicken wire, and then some more fencing, and we just cannot get it tight. The !@#!$$@^%&#^%*$&**%^$# coons I swear check it all the time, and eventually loosened a whole section that looks closed until you touch it.

I am ready to give up, but thank God, my DH has taken this as a challenge. I hate coons.
Mrs K

Oh wow, same here. I thought my dad used 2 x 4 inch squares but it was 2 x 3 inch squares, and I went over it with chicken wire. Wish I had known beforehand, I'd have used better wire to start with. Good luck getting your run secure!

I've been going outside and waiting for him to come. They usually come right after dark here. And I can watch where he tries and get an idea of where he tries to get in and where he succeeds. It's to the point where we are going to start over too because he thinks this wire is a joke.

 

[BesideStillWaters]

Indeed.

I will get a photo tomorrow with the morning light at the right angle, but there is a mended spot on my coop where a presumed raccoon *almost* got through the hardware cloth. We didn't see the raccoon, but the only things in that town strong enough would have been a large raccoon or a large dog.

Oh wow.