Hello everyone,
Just joined the forum and have gotten lots of ideas for refurbishing our old coop. We had 12 chickens back in 1992, and 3 lived to be 10 years old, until a "fisher cat" claimed them all. We have decided to get baby chicks once again, now 8 years later. It was too devisating to do it any earlier, and my daughter was 3 years old at the time and witnessed some of the attack. Our dog tried to get the fisher, but to no avail. (but my husband did, early the next morning) This coop I hope to make as animal proof as possible. My kids don't remember the incident, and want to make chicken rearing fun for them.
My question is: I just bought a 50 foot roll of heavy gauge hardware cloth, 1 inch. Now that I am reading more on the predator section, I am seeing that I should have bought 1/2 inch. I can't take it back because I already cut a few feet off it. If I use 1/2 inch on the first 2 or 3 feet up, would the 1 inch be okay to use for the rest of the way up to the top, which is 6 ft?
Or maybe for the top (roof) of the run? No paws or raccoon hands could swipe at a chicken that high up, seeing the chicken is only about a foot tall. True? The run is 10 ft X 8ft.
Any input is appreciated. Sally
Just joined the forum and have gotten lots of ideas for refurbishing our old coop. We had 12 chickens back in 1992, and 3 lived to be 10 years old, until a "fisher cat" claimed them all. We have decided to get baby chicks once again, now 8 years later. It was too devisating to do it any earlier, and my daughter was 3 years old at the time and witnessed some of the attack. Our dog tried to get the fisher, but to no avail. (but my husband did, early the next morning) This coop I hope to make as animal proof as possible. My kids don't remember the incident, and want to make chicken rearing fun for them.
My question is: I just bought a 50 foot roll of heavy gauge hardware cloth, 1 inch. Now that I am reading more on the predator section, I am seeing that I should have bought 1/2 inch. I can't take it back because I already cut a few feet off it. If I use 1/2 inch on the first 2 or 3 feet up, would the 1 inch be okay to use for the rest of the way up to the top, which is 6 ft?
Or maybe for the top (roof) of the run? No paws or raccoon hands could swipe at a chicken that high up, seeing the chicken is only about a foot tall. True? The run is 10 ft X 8ft.
Any input is appreciated. Sally
