If my chicks will be locked up at night......

[DebB11]

do I really need to use the hardware cloth or will something less expensive work fine to keep the predators out? I don't know what we have here but I am sure racoons, foxes...

I plan on putting them in the portable run in the yard during the day and at times free range (when I can be with them) so I doubt they will spend a ton of time in the run attached to my coop. At night they will be locked tight in the coop.

 

[Pharm Girl]

What is your coop like? I thought the same thing last year and went with chicken wire, but quickly got tired of getting up each morning and letting them out, so off went the chicken wire and on went the hardware cloth. My coop and run are predator proof and I no longer have to shut the ramp unless it's very cold. For me it was worth the expense not to have to get out of bed in the morning AND we can leave them for a night or two on their own and they can navigate the run and coop themselves.

 

[DebB11]

same idea as this...


https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=67093


so if I use the hardware cloth all over (which was the original plan) I should be able to leave them unlocked at night if I wanted?