Must not skimp on wire for cages!!!

[lovelychicken]

Honestly, I saw this over and over happen....RACCOONS/DOGS/etc. can get through chicken wire, its not meant to keep preditors out, only to keep the chickens in. I see lots of post on preditors getting them while in the coop, please don't skimp on the wire, use only the heavy duty wire, heavy gauge. Plus, I don't think some of the bottoms of the coops are working, wire bottoms and critters can put their paws in and eat them while they are in cage. It doesnt matter if you take the chicken wire and fold it back over twice, it still won't work to keep preditors out. They'd probably be safer sleeping free range up in a tree then sitting locked up in a coop just waiting to be a free dinner for a raccoon or other animal. Just a little info for those thinking about saving a few dollors by not getting the heavy gauge wire.
p.s. make sure the holes on the heavy gauge wire is small too.

 

[Lizzy_Lane_Farm]

Thank you for the advise. What size would you suggest? I assume you mean the kind that is heavy with very small square holes?

~Karyn

 

[chickens3]

Yes that is ture they will get right though the fence in order to get a free meal or to just kill it make sure your chicken wire is in the ground becuz you dont want them to dig to get under.

 

[lovelychicken]

1/2 inch by 1/2 inch, small

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

IDK..I live in the deep woods where predators run rampid at all times. Even our doggie predators. I have chicken wire and never have I had anything go through it to get a chicken.

Chicken wire works just fine IMO.

 

[Sactown Chickens]

We're in the process of building our coop and have used 1/2" x 1/2" hardware cloth, which seems really sturdy. It will also be buried 1 foot into the ground, which I hope will be enough to keep the local coyotes out.

 

[kajunchicken]

I'm using 1/2" x 1/2" 19 ga. hardware cloth on the run and the coop. That seems to be the only ga. wire that size that I can find in my area and I got that at home depot. A 3' wide x 25' long roll is about $35. I don't seem to see any heavier ga. on the internet either that size. I won't be burying the wire in the ground, I'm going to put a solar powered elec. fence about 3" away from the fence about 2 inches off of the ground and continue it up the run about every 8 to 10 inches until It's 2 feet high. I think that will detour any predaters until I can see whats going on and run them off or dispatch them if it's not a nieghbor's dog or cat. If that doesn't work I will re-think it. I'm also going to put some roundup around the outer perimeter of the run so the grass won't grow and ground out the elec. wire.