help with poultry fencing vs hardware cloth

[diggergal]

I have an 8' x 20' shed (with an 8' x 8' coop area inside). We are building an 8' x 35' covered run off the coop end. We have purchased the 2"x4" horse fencing for the run area. We will be burying the fence at least 18 inches deep. As recommended on this site I want to have the bottom 3 feet of run area with smaller fencing. The price of the 1/4" hardware cloth is astronomical to cover nearly 100 lineal feet. I can only find the 1/4" hardware cloth rolls 5 ft in length.

Would a 20 gauge 1" poultry fencing ran over top the 2" x 4" horse fence be enough to keep the coons little hands from sticking through the fence? Has anyone tried that with sucess? We do plan to also run an electric fence to deter critters from climbing but do not want to totally depend on it. I know how often those fences short out or if the electricity was out.

My little chicks should be shipping out today!!! They will be in the brooder for a while but we want to have the coop and fence area finished as soon as possible. From everything I read they grow super fast!!!!

 

[elmo]

The only problem with using chicken wire for that purpose is the size of the openings in the wire, which is usually around an inch and sometimes even two. Openings of this size will let a raccoon grab through.

If you can find chicken wire that has smaller openings, say around 1/2 inch, that could work. I have read from people on the dove forum who have had birds grabbed through openings as small as 1/2" by 1", though.

Don't overlook even the plastic poultry wire if you can find some with small openings. You could also use something solid, too. I know many people build their pheasant pens with metal panels all around the bottom two feet to prevent birds in adjacent pens from fighting with each other, as well as handling the issue of reach through predation on the other sides of the pens.

 

[diggergal]

Thanks elmo. I may look for some smaller poultry wire (1/2" opening). If the 1/2" poultry wire is staggered with the 2"x4" fence it should reduce the openings. I thought about making the corners solid because I hear when the chickens get scared by a predator they run in groups to the corners and that is where they are more apt to be waiting to grab and pull through. I want the chickens to have a large pen but I can't break the bank building it.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
IMHO 1/4" hardwarecloth pretty much never makes sense (unless you're trying to exclude mice, which, lotsa luck

)... the 1/2" stuff is the one to price.

That said:

Would a 20 gauge 1" poultry fencing ran over top the 2" x 4" horse fence be enough to keep the coons little hands from sticking through the fence?

It will not keep raccoons from sticking their arms thru if they want.

What it WILL do is slow them down significantly in doing it; also keep chicken heads on the correct side of the fence (while still under chickens' control, I mean).

If you ask me, although 1/2" hardwarecloth is sort of the 'gold standard' for preventing reach-thru problems, chickenwire is not *that* bad and is certainly a huge step up from nothing (also it's better than plastic deer or trellis netting, which is yer other option)

So, it is up to you about the price/risk tradeoff. The more you ABSOLUTELY have them locked into the coop BY dusk EVERY SINGLE EVENING OF THEIR LIVES, the less difference there is between hardwarecloth and chickenwire in this application, IMO.

We do plan to also run an electric fence to deter critters from climbing but do not want to totally depend on it. I know how often those fences short out or if the electricity was out.

Good! You have an excellent grasp of the realities of the situation

Good luck, have fun,

Pat​

 

[diggergal]

Thank you Pat for your response. Before I even registered on this site and was just cruising I was learning from your posts and your page. I finally registered once I ordered my chickens. I initially had planned not to have a pop door to shut ever night and build a predator proof run. But after all my research I have found that having a 100% predator run is nearly impossible. So, taking all the advice from this site my chickens will be shut in every night.

I think I will try to find some 1/2" hardware cloth in longer rolls and check on the price. Otherwise I will have to go with the 1 inch chicken wire. I really want my chickens to have a large run and be as predator proof as my pocket book can afford.

Any guidance on the best places to find 1/2" hardware cloth in rolls of 25' or longer would be appreciated.

 

[dbounds10]

Quote:
I dont know where you live but I live near Fort Worth Texas and my local feed store sells 1/4 and 1/2 hardware cloth in 50ft rolls for $55. They have 24, 36 and 48 in high to choose from. Have you called all the feed stores in your area?

 

[Sassafras]

Check your local Home Depot. That is where I got mine.

 

[aggie9296]

Lowes and Ace also has it here locally.

 

[kla37]

When I was a kid we had really "tight" chicken wire on our rabbit hutch. Not only can raccoons reach through it, but they can grab it with both hands and rip it open. Been using hardware cloth ever since and it has never failed!