Protecting the hardware cloth flooring

[James the Bald]

I'm in the process of building my second quail pen, and I've had this little light bulb go off in my head, and I thought I would mention it here to see if it is a halfway bright idea, or what.

For those wanting our birds above the ground, has anyone thought about applying a light coat of Rustoleum paint to the hardware cloth flooring? Over the past few weeks, I've watched a few dozen videos on U-tube about raising quail, and one thing I've noticed is that in a majority of the videos, the hardware cloth flooring looks rusted. I was wondering if it would be worth it to spray a thin coat of paint to protect the metal; I can imagine that all the weekly scrubbing would shorten the life of the flooring and it would need to be replaced eventually. I'm considering this for the "long haul", so it's just along the lines of protecting my long term investment.

Any thoughts would be appreciated,
James

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They sell coated hardware cloth.

 

[TwoCrows]

X2. You can get coated hardware cloth that will take years of scrubbing and not peel.

 

[James the Bald]

I must not be looking in the right place. The 3 places that I get hardware cloth from only carry the galvanized stuff. Thank you for the replies.

 

[TwoCrows]

Ace Hardware is the only place that carries it in my town. If they do not have it, see if they can order it.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

are you looking for 1/2 inch or smaller?
you can get it covered with vinyl pvc and polyester
http://www.twpinc.com/wire-mesh/TWPCAT_BLK
http://www.academyfence.com/welded-...sh/vinyl-coated/1/2in-x-1/2in-19-gauge-black/

I know home depot carries it too

 

[James the Bald]

The Home Depot by my place doesn't carry the coated stuff; just the generic plain-jane galvanized hardware cloth. Thanks for the links Chicken Canoe. I'll have to keep this in mind when I speak with my funds director (aka, Mrs the Bald), as I told her this would't be breakin the bank to make a couple of wire cages.

 

[MrBobWhite]

Tractor supply carries this also.