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Yes but there are other options too. Personally I am a *big* fan of 1x1 welded wire mesh (chicks can't go thru it [well maybe bantam chicks I dunno but for sure not normal sized chicks], chickens can't stick their heads thru it, and raccoons can only reach a couple inches thru it]. I would not use it next to a roost or if you ever let your chickens sleep out in the run, but for normal use it is good stuff.
1x2 cage wire is good too, although raccoons can reach in further and you are getting towards the border of 'probably oughta add something smaller mesh along the bottom 2-3' to prevent reach-through'.
2x4 welded wire mesh fencing can be good too -- tho you need livestock type stuff, not garden-grade -- but it *definitely* oughta have something smaller mesh added to the bottom 2-3' and be aware it won't keep out small predators like baby raccoons/possums or weasels/minks, although these things are pretty strictly nocturnal predators. Also 2x4 lets sparrows in easily, which is sometimes an issue especially if you have your feeder outdoors.
Is poultry wire the same as chicken wire?
Yes. Basically, anything hexagon-mesh shaped is exceedingly unlikely to be strong enough to resist predators.
We're converting a large dog kennel "dog hell" into our coop. I've seen some people use hardware cloth on the bottom half and then chicken wire on the top will that work?
Is this chainlink, then? Chainlink is good, IF it is heavy-gauge and tightly-installed (warning, many commercially-sold dog kennel panels these days are NOT). Chainlink just needs something smaller mesh added to the bottom 2-3', and lock your birds indoors at dusk.
For adding to the bottom 2-3' of any larger-holed fencing, 1/2" hardware cloth is certainly your safest bet but also your most expensive. Honestly, if you are managing your chickens conservatively in terms of safety, chickenwire will do a pretty darn good job of preventing accidents involving the bottom 2-3' too... yes, predators can rip it apart, but the point is that takes TIME and the type of daytime reach-through incidents that the smaller mesh is mainly intended to prevent are near-instantaneous things. Chicken sticks head thru mesh and previously-unnoticed dog amputates chicken's head; or chicken is snoozing in sun next to wire and an especially hungry daytime raccoon comes by and grabs a handful of living chicken and removes it thru fence. So as long as you don't have unusually-high daytime risks and you shut the chickens into the coop before dust every day for the rest of your life, honestly I don't think it is that dangerous if you can only afford chickenwire to add to the kennel run.
Good luck, h ave fun,
Pat
