Question about what kind of "chicken wire" to use?

[colebarnhart]

I'm a newbie also, but have learned very quickly. I'm also a cheap ass and felt the same way you did. I don't live that far out in the country and it is really the suburbs at this point with all the development around me.

I built my coop and used the chicken wire that you're talking about, thinking that nothing could get my chickens. I was very cocky, lol!!!! However, I found one ripped up inside the coop on one corner with half the body removed. I couldn't believe it and had no idea what could've done it. Then 2 days later before I got the hardware wire up, another bird got killed. So what I would suggest is use the chicken wire everywhere except for the bottom around your coop/run area then go with the hardware wire. I got my hardware wire from Lowe's and got two of the 3' rolls and cut them in half with my recip saw, which gave me 4 rolls 18 inches wide and enough to cover the area where they seemed to be vulnerable.

I have also bought a $35 double trap system at Tractor Supply and using half opened cans of tuna, caught 5 possiums, 2 raccoons, 2 kittens, and 1 full grown cat. I haven't had a problem with coyotes but have heard that they can tear through regular chicken wire and can and will silently take out all of your chix in one night, but I have also heard that if you pee all around your coop/run area that it will keep coyotes and foxes away, but only them and not the rats, hawks, snakes, coons or possiums.

When I got started in this chicken thing I was only concerned with snakes around the eggs and didn't want any rodents around the chicken feed, I had no idea that every other freakin' creature on planet earth would be after them.

 

[Shikens!]

You guys make valid points. *sigh* I'm going to go to a feed store so I can see this stuff in person before I buy anything. I would absolutely LOOSE IT if I went outside to find my hens in pieces!!!!

 

[Shikens!]

Quote:
Did you just call me a cheap ass?

Good advice! At least pee is free right? Sorry to hear about your chickens...

 

[latebloomer]

Quote:
okay, that's too scary for me. i just ordered.

 

[Shikens!]

OK, so will this stuff do the trick? 1/2-Inch Mesh 19-Guage Galvanized Hardware Cloth?

 

[georgiagail]

For what it's worth...

At one of my bird club meetings, a member told a story about how he kept losing some of his big macaws. He kept his breeding pairs in large outside cages made of heavy chain link (because these birds could eat through anything thinner wire) set about three feet off the ground.

He starting finding one bird where a pair had once lived, or no birds where a pair once lived, often seeing only feathers under the cage...although sometimes a beak was also found in the cage.

Heard a ruckus one night after going to bed, got up, turned the lights on and saw a pair of raccoons "working the cage"; one on top, one underneath. The one on top would bang on the top of the cage, driving the parrot down to the bottom....the one on the bottom would reach in through the chain link, grab a foot and...begin chewing. The one of the top would run down, get to the bottom and grab the other foot.

The parrot was...literally...eaten from the feet on up.

Gail

 

[schellie69]

I used welded wire 1" by 2" on most of the coop except the bottom half then added hardware cloth to that. It works well. I live in town but we have raccoons and such here also. Maybe look into some welded wire its cheaper in the long run the hardware cloth then use the hardware cloth on the bottom. Good luck.

 

[elmo]

To make things even more complicated, there are two kinds of galvanized welded wire: galvanized before weld and galvanized after weld. Galvanizing is a process that coats wire with zinc to deter rust.

Wire that's galvanized before welding is cheaper, but it's less durable. The welding process strips away some of the zinc coating at the points where the wires cross, meaning that these junctions are likelier to rust (and rust through). Wire that's galvanized after welding is more expensive, but doesn't have this weakness and will last longer.

You don't end up saving money if you buy the cheaper, galvanized before weld wire and it rusts and falls apart, and you have to replace it.

 

[colebarnhart]

Shikens! :

OK, so will this stuff do the trick? 1/2-Inch Mesh 19-Guage Galvanized Hardware Cloth?

I would say yes and think so...... But, as I said before, I'm still amazed that possiums and/or raccoons could get their hands inside regular chicken wire and be quick and sneaky enough to catch a grown hen and a grown roo when they had plenty of room to get away. Well anyway, as you can tell I'm still kicking myself for not getting the hardware wire up sooner. But the 1/2" 19 gauge is what I now have around the bottom and haven't lost bird since. But then again I've been removing lots of threats and/or guilty critters by trapping and killing the raccoons and possiums, I let the neighbor cats go, the wife is the jr. high principal and the husband is the jr. high football coach for my 2 kids so.....haha, no I wouldn't have killed them anyway, because there ain't no way in hell a well feed psudo house cat or kitten did what I saw to my chickens. And oh yeah, I've been using my FREE PEE as well

If you spend the extra cash on the h/w wire in the beginning then you won't have to waste money on the trap, tuna, bullets, and gun like I have.​

 

[colebarnhart]

By the way, I'm done trapping. I was on a rampage trying to get revenge, but it really got to be more of a hassel than you could imagine. I also was initially worried about snakes and rats, which possiums and raccoons might eat, not sure, so don't really want them gone, just don't want them eating my birds. So go with the h/w wire alone or combined with some other wire and a sturdy coop and of course the pee and you and your chix should be fine