Not dumb at all. In an ideal world you would have a structure that doesn’t require seams because you had enough wood support elements to screw it in to. But I think mostly we end up with seams.
I think hog rings are the standard approach and if you think hardware cloth is difficult to deal with, you haven’t seen anything until you meet the humble hog ring.
The problem with the hog ring approach is that the wire flexes and bulges and that creates openings. Mostly that hasn’t been an issue for me but at the junction with the anti-predator apron it opened up enough to let in mice and rats. I have solved this by retroactively sewing the two pieces together with vinyl coated electrical wire. It was a major pain to do after we were finished because it meant working on my belly on the ground. The chickens thought I was dust bathing and joined me - if you have never shared a dust bath with a chicken I can tell you that extra eyelid they have is there for a good reason!
I really wish I had thought of the sewing approach from the get-go.
Anyway, now I am fully rodent proof and leave food out in the run with no issue.
