Placement of wire in coop

[jamih70]

Hello,

I recently inherited some chickens with their homemade coop, and plan to do some remodeling on it this weekend. It is currently wired with regular chicken wire, and I am switching it out to 1/2 inch gauage hardware cloth.

The current wire is stapled via the inside, but I'm thinking it would be easier to staple the new wire from the outside. I understand aesthetically this may not be the best, but are there any concerns about this when it comes to it being predator proof?

Thanks,

Jami
Portland, OR

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Just make sure a raccoon can't pry it away and enter.
I usually attach the hardware cloth to the openings and then nail or screw boards over the top of the edges so predators can't pull it off.

 

[jetdog]

Screw it on with screws and washers much stronger than staples probably easier to.

 

[chfite]

Poultry staples work quite well. The one that are meant to be hammered into the wood spread as they go in. It it quite difficult to remove them with tools unless you cut them.

Chris

 

[MoonShadows]

Staples from a hand held staple gun (eg. Arrow Staple Gun) are really not secure because a hand held staple gun can not drive long enough staples, but staples shot from an air gun, about 1", placed every couple of inches will make the enclosure secure...and, it's a heck of a lot easier than using screws, nails or hammering those u-shaped fence staples.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

... it's a heck of a lot easier than ... hammering those u-shaped fence staples.

I HATE those things. Except for the big thick ones for barbed wire.

 

[MoonShadows]

Quote:
I hate them too! I invariably wind up hitting my finger with the hammer a few times whenever I use them.

 

[luvmychixandducks]

short drywall screws and washers they cannot fit thru make good fasteners- no hammering and they can be removed painlessly if you need to replace wire or wood framing around the wire for any reason.
Try to get screws shorter than the thickness of the walls and you'll leave no sharp points inside toe coop for birds to cut themselves on.

 

[JackE]

Just make sure a raccoon can't pry it away and enter.
I usually attach the hardware cloth to the openings and then nail or screw boards over the top of the edges so predators can't pull it off.

Thats what I did. Attached the hardware cloth with poultry staples, then put trim around the opening. The trim boards also give a clean finished look, with no raggedy edges for anybody to get snagged on.
Jack