Help, I need the Marjority oppinion....

[GardeNerd]

I like hardware cloth. I live in an urban neighborhood. I have 1/2 inch because I didn't want to attract rats to the feed in the coop if they had access through large holes.

5 years ago there were no raccoons around here. For the last three years there has been many regular sightings in the neighborhood of raccoons. Therefore, even if you don't have predators now, it is better to be prepared than reactionary when you loose a chicken to a new predator.

 

[sloallie10]

im not that much of a help but what kind of chickens, how many? love the coop!

 

[coffeelady3]

I too live in a fairly large city and we have tons of opossums and raccoons. If you have them around definitely go for the hardware cloth. Raccoons will tear through that chicken wire like butter!

 

[Omran]

Hardware cloth, expensiveis what cheap, because hardware cloth will lsat way longer that poultry wire and it is safer.

 

[lurky]

I am not sure if its the same thing as hardware cloth, but we prefer the welded wire over the chicken wire

 

[sianara]

Quote:
DITTO!

 

[MD Chicken chic]

What is welded wire?

 

[sianara]

Quote:
Here's a link to show you. Whenever in doubt, I do a google search

http://www.academyfence.com/vinylcoatedcolorpvcweldedwire.asp

 

[CityChook]

When I built my coop last summer, we put hardware wire on the bottom and chicken wire on the top to save money. The hens are locked in their coop before dark, so I feel that they are pretty safe at night. Chicken wire is pretty darned good at keeping chickens in, but lousy at keeping much else out. I'm in an urban environment, yet we have raccoons that are easily 40 lbs. living in our backyard trees. Chicken wire is not difficult for them to pull apart.

After the long winter, the chicken wire got rusty and now I am concerned about it's structural integrity. We will be replacing it this spring with 1 inch hardware wire. So you can either do it now, or do it later. But trust me, you will likely end up doing it eventually. And then hope that the big bad beasties don't beat you to it.

 

[mmtillman]

Put up the chicken wire....then...over that ...put on the hardware cloth wire !! That way you both win and the chickens will be twice as safe!!