I read on a different post from about a year back that while plastic poultry netting may not be effective in keep predators out it will at least keep the chickens in. I bought rolls of plastic poultry netting from Lowes last week and finished installing it 3 days ago, creating a 100 ft. run. Yesterday I watched as 2 of my 7 birds chewed on and created a hole in the netting. I tried scooting them away but when I came back a short time later the hole was larger. I thought I was watching a scene from "The Great Escape." So now, I am going to have to purchase some wire material. What I probably will do is purchase a 1-2 ft. width and just use it at the bottom to reinforce the netting. Mainly I wanted all to know that yes, these crazy birds will chew through plastic netting.
Wow, I'm so sorry your birds are chewing through the netting. What's on the other side of the netting??? A beautiful veggie garden? I let my chickens free range over a very large acreage, so I am using deer netting and I have not had a problem with them chewing it. The deer netting is about 7ft tall, so I cut it in half and got twice the footage. It's not predator proof, but I just want to keep the birds from wandering too far.
If you only buy 1' high wire, the chickens will break thru your netting above it. If you buy 2' high wire, the chickens may not go thru it but it is utterly not predatorproof in any way whatsoever (not even if that 2' high wire is hardwarecloth). There would be a lot to be said for getting full-height reasonably-predatorproof wire (not chickenwire) even if it is 2x4" holes, then you can use your plastic netting to keep chickens from sticking their heads out so much and it will be at least reasonably predatorproof too. Good luck, have fun, Pat
They will also destroy a tarp (used as a windbreak on their run). Plastic netting is easy for them as you discovered. I found that the 2' high chicken wire and the same netting you have above that holds them in just fine. https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=35063-fences-visible-invisible As Pat said, not predator proof in the least.
