Hardware Cloth vs. Rabbit Cage Fencing

[Chickcz]

I posted this message in the New Subscriber section as well so I'm sorry for the double newbie question but want to make sure it is in the right section of the forum....


Hello!

Have recently joined the site and finding such a wonderful amount of information about chickens. My family and I are going to build our first coop and run and it seems that hardware cloth is recommended wholeheartedly to protect against predation. I can only find 19 gauge hardware cloth.

One website I ran across recommended 14 gauge rabbit cage wire for coops and 17 gauge hex wire for the run. The website recommended against 19 gauge hardware cloth as it is not strong enough to prevent predators from ripping it apart.

I found 14 gauge, 1 x 2 mesh, 36 x 100 foot rolls for $162.50 plus shipping ($27.50). Would this be a good wire to use on a coop and run? 14 gauge does seem stronger.

http://www.bassequipment.com/Default.aspx?TabId=10

We are planning to use a 10 x 10 x 6 chain-link dog run as our chicken run and putting a 3 ft. skirt of wire around it to prevent digging under and then going up the sides with 3 feet of wire. I have seen many pictures where runs had that extra layer of wire going 3 feet up the sides instead of all the way to the top. Does this protect against racoons as I thought they could climb? Should the extra layer of wire go all the way to the top?

Thank you!

 

[FireTigeris]

The wire up the sides protects from coons reaching through and pulling birds out bit by bit.

The wire needs to be taller then a raccoon and taller then the chickens (and covering where they will roost)

 

[georgiagail]

With your chain link dog run there is no need for 14 gauge hardware cloth. Many of us have purchased hardware cloth from wayfair:

http://www.wayfair.com/Mat-0.5-Mesh-Galvanized-Hardware-Cloth-308243B-308246B-BFJ1003.html

36" x 100 foot hardware cloth roll - just under $110 (free shipping).

And we've done what you are planning on all of our four runs; dog runs with a 36" layer of hardware cloth around the perimenter.

First run (before the roof was on):



Working on the final stage (the roof):

 

[joan1708]

georgiagail - how did you connect the PVC "hoop" top to the dog run? did you have some kind of connector? where did you get it. You have some very nice coops!