Lead-Free chicken wire alternative?

[Tpedroni]

We just bought our first roll of chicken wire and were alarmed to read that it contains significant amounts of lead. Now we want to return it and find an alternative. What do people recommend?

 

[roosterhavoc]

We just bought our first roll of chicken wire and were alarmed to read that it contains significant amounts of lead. Now we want to return it and find an alternative. What do people recommend?

Don’t eat it and you should be just fine.

 

[Phocyn]

stainless steel or hardware cloth is recommended for diy cages. Look into those.

 

[Tpedroni]

stainless steel or hardware cloth is recommended for diy cages. Look into those.

Is half inch mesh recommended and would you assume this to be unleaded?

 

[B-Goock]

Any steel product thats galvanized will contain lead. feeders waterers hardware cloth welded wire.
So your choice is stainless steel which likely be special order and very expensive or plain steel which will rust. I would venture to guess even the vinyl coated is galvanized under the vinyl.

 

[tsperry88]

We just bought our first roll of chicken wire and were alarmed to read that it contains significant amounts of lead. Now we want to return it and find an alternative. What do people recommend?

How did you learn it contained significant amounts of lead? I would expect trace amounts of lead, but many things do.

 

[Dusty Chicken]

I have been investigating the same issue. I just bought a new roll and noticed the lead disclaimer statement for the first time. It makes me wonder about all the other rolls of hardware cloth I have bought in the past.
From the little bit of investigating that I have done so far I am finding that lead is used as a "flow agent" for zinc in the hot dipped method of galvanizing the metal. I have read that there are electoplated hardware cloths available but at this point I do not know how they compare in price and availability.

 

[tsperry88]

Hot dipped galvanized is better than electroplated. Electroplating is super thin and in building hardware never meets code if corrosion is an issue. I used stainless hardware cloth on my coop, just because it will last the longest. The run is galvanized because I'm not trying for the most expensive omlet.

 

[Tpedroni]

Any steel product thats galvanized will contain lead. feeders waterers hardware cloth welded wire.
So your choice is stainless steel which likely be special order and very expensive or plain steel which will rust. I would venture to guess even the vinyl coated is galvanized under the vinyl.

Thank you!

 

[Tpedroni]

How did you learn it contained significant amounts of lead? I would expect trace amounts of lead, but many things do.

Several articles found online. I googled chicken coop lead. I’m happy to share them.