Is chicken wire good enough?

[flash5153]

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I agree with you on this,,,,since raccoons can climb just about anything. A pen with out a roof is worthless.

 

[Lollipop]

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Yup, my son brought an enjured pheasant hen to my place in FL, sometime back, and she was recovering in my maternity pen. This pen was wrapped in 1" chicken wire and I had also wrapped hardware cloth around the outside as chicks could still get through the chicken wire. Just as the hen was about as good as she was gonna get, a coon tore the hardware cloth loose at one corner and went through the chicken wire and killed the hen. Didn`t tear loose at the corner like the hardwaare cloth, but went right through the chicken wire. They are like little bears and very determined. Like you, I have never read an account of actual penetration, but after that, I can tell ya it`s possible........Pop

 

[Cetawin]

Chicken wire keeps chickens in but nothing out. Totally useless waste of money for protection.

 

[the4heathernsmom]

Welded wire...aka horse no climb has been my friend!!!!!!!!!

 

[poseygrace]

I have chicken wire around my run, and Ft. Knox for a coop, with a pop door I lock each night. I haven't had any problems, but I am in Suburbia in a fenced yard, so there isn't much that would try to rip through chicken wire during the DAY where I live. Night is a different story (we get raccoons and possums). Hardware cloth was so expensive here, it just wasn't a good option for me. Good luck to you!

 

[flash5153]

I think this would be a good episode for Myth Busters. There are allot of factors that could make someone think that a predator is breaking through chicken wire when they are really not,,or at least there are reasons.. Either it is not installed proper,,or it is old rusty and brittle.

I believe there are more people out there using chicken wire to protect their chickens than anything else. If a predator can break right through it without a problem ,,,and it happened often,,,,I think there would be a steady stream of people here stating this. And if the case,,,NO ONE would be using chicken wire for chickens,,,,lol.

A brand new piece of chicken wire is pretty strong,,but only being 3' wide ,,when put on a wall 8' to 9' tall ,,it leaves many seams and then,,, at the ends ,,,when cut,,are a big weakness if not fastened correctly. If 1 wire strand slips after a cut on the end of a run,,it breaches the whole section. Its just the way it is designed.

It's just my opinion. And I could be wrong,,,,,,that is,, IF a raccoon can bite and break the wire,,,which I really don't know. But even if they can I don't believe it happens often. I think the wire needs to break somehow in order to breach it. I can't pull it apart even if i hook it on a nail or 2. It will stretch,,, bend ,,twist but it won't break or leave an opening big enough for a animal to get through,,,without breaking it. And did I mention,,,I can't break it with my bare hands,,,and I am stronger that than a monkey (or I mean raccoon)!!!

We need Adam and Jamie,,,or is it just me??

 

[DaughterOfEve]

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The day after putting up my first run my dog ran strait through the wire and nearly broke through the back side as well. He is a lab mix about 60 pounds. So yes I have first hand experience with a medium size dog running through chicken wire like it was paper. We replaced it all with welded wire 1/2" by 1".

 

[flash5153]

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OK,,this is what I want to hear. So tell me,,,did it come loose from the edges?? Or did it break all the strands where he hit it,,,, and actually break the wire?? What size wire??

And I should have stated above,,I am referring to 1 inch chicken wire.

 

[harveyhorses]

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OK,,this is what I want to hear. So tell me,,,did it come loose from the edges?? Or did it break all the strands where he hit it,,,, and actually break the wire?? What size wire??

And I should have stated above,,I am referring to 1 inch chicken wire.

One inch chicken wire is big enough for any coon to get a paw through, then pushes pulls, and rips it apart. or a chicken to poke a head through and be decapitated. The boards are full of 'what could have done this, not a coon?' YES they can. We had it around our garbage cans, they didn't even bother to climb it, and while we didn't see them doing it, we did catch them ripping into our cans in the enclosure. Two of them, quickly dispatched. Big hole ripped right in the side, and it would have been nothing for them to climb over.
If you want to use it for your chickens that is your choice.

 

[teach1rusl]

OP, I would at least add another layer of chicken wire around the entire thing. Assuming you didn't just use a staple gun... Use the fence type nails (ushaped), washers and screws, or strips of wood screwed along the edges to secure your wire. Although I'm a firm believer that many predators can get through chicken wire, I'd bet money that in most cases, an opening is made along an edge, because the wire is so then, it's easy to pull out...
Heavier wire is better though, IMO. I only use chicken wire around my garden and protected plants, and it does a great job of keeping chickens out...