Hardware Cloth

[Araucana16]

I'm thinking about making my run hardware cloth (weeps just a little, so much work!) and I can't possibly afford spending over $100 on it for my whole entire run. It's going to be 12x8. Yes... not an easy task.

Anyone have any idea about how this is gonna happen? And if not, I think that my chickens would die, since I have to let them out by at the very latest 7 AM every morning when it's just starting to warm up and get daylight bright and apparently a raccoon could easily get to them at that point. *Sigh.* I don't think chicken wire is gonna cut it. I can replace one section of the roof about 4x8 with plywood, which would lower it to 8x8 run top that I have to cover.

Is that even possible? Thanks.

 

[Kelsie2290]

If raccoons are your big concern, what if you made the upper part heavy gage 2x4 wire and only the lower couple of feet hardware cloth, quite a few people seem to do that. Raccoons can reach through 2x4 wire but if it is goes high enough off the ground where they can't reach the chickens you should be OK... double check there is no access to the chickens when they are on their roosts if you have an open coop. You might also check Craigslist etc for old chain link fence (or if anyone you know has an old one they want taken down), we see it fairly often around here, usually rusty etc, but fine to cover pens for that sort of purpose.

 

[Jewelwing]

How tall is it? I'm covering my run (8x17 x 6'tall) with hardware cloth. 6 feet of the roof will be metal roof (left over from a project from many years ago - glad I saved it all this time!), so I have 11' to cover with cloth.

The cheapest place I found it is on Wayfare.com. It was $85 for a 4' tall 50' long roll, no shipping or tax. Still not cheap, but better than anywhere I could find locally. They have other sizes too. I used 6' above ground, and put an apron of 2' all the way around to prevent digging under the fence.

Then you have to figure out how to attach it. If you use screws and washers, the cheapest place I found for washers that I really love (3/16" x 3/4" fender washers) is The Nutty Company (nutty.com). But it's probably cheaper to staple the hardware cloth and then attach a piece of wood trim over the edges so the raccoons can't pull the staples out.

 

[Timskins]

I just did a 17'x10'x7' run in hardware cloth. That bill was tough to swallow. Wayfair was the cheapest by far. The free shipping was the biggest savings. Most other places wanted almost as much as the cost of the roll to ship it.

 

[aart]

Then you have to figure out how to attach it. If you use screws and washers, the cheapest place I found for washers that I really love (3/16" x 3/4" fender washers) is The Nutty Company (nutty.com). But it's probably cheaper to staple the hardware cloth and then attach a piece of wood trim over the edges so the raccoons can't pull the staples out.

What was your shipping on this?
Did you order enough in one shot or have to reorder and reorder like I did?

 

[Jewelwing]

What was your shipping on this?
Did you order enough in one shot or have to reorder and reorder like I did?

I wish! No, I ordered three times (so far). This last time I ordered 800, so I'm hoping I'll have extra when I'm done. I have fewer than 400 left, though, so it will be close. Who knew?

Shipping was $8, whether I ordered 150 or 800. So 800 of them cost just over $25, which I thought wasn't bad.

Since I'm using untreated wood wherever I can (4x4's and 4x6's only come treated around here) and painting it to protect it, my husband thinks I should be caulking every screw hole. But there are so many - I think I'd be building this thing until January if I had to caulk all 1500 screw holes! Just guessing on the number, but I don't think I'm too far off. I hope it won't rot and fall apart any time soon because of my decision.

 

[aart]

Mine were a bit more per hundred from McMaster-Carr but shipping was only $5.65.....I did 3 orders totaling 900 washers, then used battens for the last bit cause I couldn't bear to order more and pay shipping again.
That size washer is perfect tho and you can't find them in stores

 

[Jewelwing]

Mine were a bit more per hundred from McMaster-Carr but shipping was only $5.65.....I did 3 orders totaling 900 washers, then used battens for the last bit cause I couldn't bear to order more and pay shipping again.
That size washer is perfect tho and you can't find them in stores

I know, right? I must have looked in every possible store within 50 miles and couldn't find that size. Glad I found them online! I hear you about the shipping. I've placed three orders as well, and if I need more I think I'll improvise too.