Help needed

[uknotku]

Two things, I'm not disagreeing with you, I use the 2x4 fencing on my runs and have chicken wire around the bottom to hold the babies in, once they are too big to get out I get rid of it. And I only use 4' fencing.

On the gauge differences, my point was that most of the HWC that people are buying is 19 gauge, while the chicken wire they consider deadly is either 19 gauge as well or barely smaller at 20 gauge.

I was never trying to pick on you. I just find these threads interesting bc you have so many people that will guarantee that if you don't use HWC cloth and have a fraction less than 4 square feet per chicken all of them will die. I adhere to neither and have an incredibly happy and productive flock and never lose a bird.

 

[Birdsong 82]

It could be each area and where we get wire could be different too. The hardware cloth we have gotten has been leftovers from work so maybe stronger than most. Not enough to do a run though. Just a skirt. do agree that there are ways to get strength without the use of expensive hardware cloth. There are many who think that’s the only way and it is wonderful stuff but there are other ways like you stated. That’s my way of getting around it and love to hear other people’s way. Love to learn

 

[JDN]

Its a balance for everyone, cost, space, etc...

Hardware Cloth in theory guarantees that nothing can reach or or break through, short of a bear, if its installed well. Its also expensive.

Chicken wire is a default choice because of the name, but is easy to pull apart.

welded wire is cheaper than HC, and better than chicken wire. The wholes are bigger though, so smaller things could get through...

But, even if a raccoon can reach through the fencing and grab a chicken, how much of a concern is that in a run? My chickens know to back away, and invariably run back under the table under their coop whenever something alarms them.

Snakes and weasels are the other thing. I have snakes here, but since seeing three of them fight over a snake they caught and pulled to pieces, I mostly worry about egg thieving as opposed to predation and again, I'll never make the thing a bank vault. Weasels are also supposedly native but I've never seen one and I spend a lot of time outside hunting, fishing, etc...

I think that a hot wire low and a hot wire high some kind of coverage over the top is probably the best. I couldn't due to how my run is situates with my fence, but I will next time around.