post your chicken coop pictures here!

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ShanandGem said:
My dog got through hardware cloth like it was butter.  Didn't have a mark on him.
Click to expand...


Nothing is foolproof... I have seen dogs break through 2x4 welded wire and even chain link, and I'm sure people who have to deal with bears will tell you they can plow over or knock down just about anything if they desire... Even common livestock like goats and cows can push over or destroy most fencing if they get an inclination to do so... A goat doing their normal rubbing and leaning on fencing can even break the welds on 2x4 welded wire, just ask any goat owner that has seen it happen like myself, and my goats are well behaved compared to many...

There is no doubt that layered up layers of fencing will offer more protection then a single layer as well...

There are also different gauges and spacing of hardware wire that offer different degrees of protection, the stuff sold in most stores is light weight, better hardware cloth can be had online but it comes with a price and most people don't want to pay that price.. But there is little doubt that even the lighter gauge 1/2" or 1/4" hardware wire offers more protection than chicken wire ever will... Small predators like weasels that can kill an entire flock in minutes can literally fit through the 1" opening in traditional chicken wire... And even for larger animals that might attempt to tear through hardware cloth, it's much harder than tearing through chicken wire, especially 1/4" where many animals won't be able to hook a tooth or claw well enough to pull and rip, something that is easy for them to do with chicken wire...
 
MeepBeep said:
Nothing is foolproof... I have seen dogs break through 2x4 welded wire and even chain link, and I'm sure people who have to deal with bears will tell you they can plow over or knock down just about anything if they desire... Even common livestock like goats and cows can push over or destroy most fencing if they get an inclination to do so... A goat doing their normal rubbing and leaning on fencing can even break the welds on 2x4 welded wire, just ask any goat owner that has seen it happen like myself, and my goats are well behaved compared to many...

There is no doubt that layered up layers of fencing will offer more protection then a single layer as well...

There are also different gauges and spacing of hardware wire that offer different degrees of protection, the stuff sold in most stores is light weight, better hardware cloth can be had online but it comes with a price and most people don't want to pay that price.. But there is little doubt that even the lighter gauge 1/2" or 1/4" hardware wire offers more protection than chicken wire ever will... Small predators like weasels that can kill an entire flock in minutes can literally fit through the 1" opening in traditional chicken wire... And even for larger animals that might attempt to tear through hardware cloth, it's much harder than tearing through chicken wire, especially 1/4" where many animals won't be able to hook a tooth or claw well enough to pull and rip, something that is easy for them to do with chicken wire...
Click to expand...


I think the best, truest quote I have read on this site is "You can be predator resistant, but never predator proof." Sadly the best learning experiences on how to improve safety come with losing chickens.
 
ShanandGem said:
My dog got through hardware cloth like it was butter.  Didn't have a mark on him.
Click to expand...


Depends on the guage of wire as well as the size of the hole too. The larger the gauge, the thinner and therefore, weaker the wire is. The smaller the holes, the harder it becomes to get a grip to begin destruction . smaller holes also means more welded spots in the material to create a stronger structure. If you are using 1"x2" holes with 21 gauge hwc, yeah it's gonna fail. But 1/2" holes (or smaller) with 16 gauge wire (or larger) is gonna hold up pretty well and against many predators. It will likely never be predator proof but you can definitely amp up your protection.
 
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canehdianchick said:
Had 3 eagles circling my run yesterday -- thought I could hold off on covering the top for a week or two but instead I jumped right on fencing it... Here she goes...






The front before we did the fencing on top!
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So glad you posted about the hawks and fencing the run's roof. BYCers are always saying how important it is to fortify our coops/runs from predators no matter from what angle they come!
 
BruceAZ said:
Quote:
You can ... if you are home and can hear if something is trying to get into the tractor run. I saw a video of a couple of coyotes ripping into a chicken wire covered A frame run like it wasn't even there. The wire is only twisted around itself to make the openings and will pull apart if an animal gets teeth into it. Of course, they can probably bite right through it even easier ... IF they can get a tooth in it which is why 1/2" hardware cloth is superior, can't get teeth into it., especially if it is installed TIGHT.

ShanandGem said:
Hardware cloth doesn't stand up much better than chicken wire. I learned that the hard way. We use chicken wire covered in square welded metal cattle fence.
Click to expand...

Properly installed with poultry/fence staples or screws and fender washers, it will stand up a lot better than chicken wire. Install it with staple gun T150 staples and it can be pulled off the framing with very little effort.

canehdianchick said:
It's the pine martins that are impossible.. the bears aren't that bad as long as they aren't hungry... Pine martins can get into anything and they kill for fun :( So worried for winter time when they come rampant!
Click to expand...

Sounds like you want 1/2" hardware cloth under woven (not welded) wire fence to keep out what can be kept out. Beyond that you need electric around the entire coop and run.
Click to expand...
 
ShanandGem said:
My dog got through hardware cloth like it was butter. Didn't have a mark on him.
Click to expand...

must be a pretty big dog...

It's pretty boxed in in this area. The houses are surrounded by 6ft concrete wall, so nothing else to worry about beside my own dog (profile pic) and the neighbors' cats. I stapled the hardware cloth down (1 in apart or so) to the 2x4 frame, so far so good.
 

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