Hardware Cloth

[garthmyers]

I am new to the forum and chickens. I am going to start building my coop, run within the next week, and am trying to figure out what type of hardware cloth I need to use to enclose the coop and run with. I found the following and was wondering if it would work to fence in the coop and run. I am trying to find it as cheap as I can but am willing to pay for what I need. If anyone could give me the specifics for the different types of wires and what I should be looking for I would really appreciate it.

search

G & B 308199B 24-Inch x 50-Foot 1/2-Inch Galvanized Mesh Garden Cloth

on amazon

Sorry i am a new member and can not post URL's

 

[Schwartzfarmnc]

Not sure about that brand on Amazon, I used 100ft and 50ft rolls of 1/2 inch 19mil Hardware cloth from Southern States Supply or Lowe's hardware, and both were tough as nails and work great. My entire run area is covered with it, and I buried it 18 inches in the ground and topped with gravel to prevent most predators. I did not like the 1/4 hardware cloth, too flimbsy, the 1/2 inch worked best for me, hope this helps.

 

[elmo]

I bought some of the same wire last summer for the wire apron of my last run. It's a really low quality product. I would not recommend it. Even just working with it to install I noticed some of the welds breaking. I've never seen that in any of the other wire I've purchased!

I usually buy my wire from this company:

http://www.wadavidson.com/

I use their 19 gauge, vinyl coated, 1/2" by 1/2" wire for my runs, and then I use a 16 gauge 1/2" by 1/2" wire that I buy by the foot from Klubertanz to cover the vents and windows. I recommend both of those products.

Wire is galvanized either before welding or after welding. Wire that's galvinized after welding is better and usually more expensive. It lasts longer, though, because the wire that's galvanized before welding tends to rust at the joints (where the welding has stripped away some of the zinc).

 

[Curlita]

Hardware cloth can be pricey, but it's worth the money to do it right the first time. I skimped on my run initially, and then had to re-do all of it when we had a raccoon incursion. Turns out that doing it twice is even more expensive than doing it once.