*****To all you newbies!!!*****

[BeachGirl26]

Hmm, I'm not sure. It would be nice to see pictures of you setup. Maybe you should start a new thread here: Coop & Run - Design, Construction, & Maintenance. Then lots of people can help you!

I messaged someone on there who

Hmm, I'm not sure. It would be nice to see pictures of you setup. Maybe you should start a new thread here: Coop & Run - Design, Construction, & Maintenance. Then lots of people can help you!

Ok thank you!

 

[cmom]

Hi! I’m brand new and building a coop. Do you have any suggestions for roofing material. I have several opossums in my area. Thinking plastic corrugated panels with hardware cloth underneath...would that be overkill or recommended?
Thank you!

My roofs are now metal. I replaced the old roofing when it started to leak and it needed replacing. No problems since, and we went through a hurricane and the roofs held good. The fence got blown over somewhat but stayed intact. I'm too old to climb up on a roof anymore. I repaired the old roofs a few times, so hopefully this was the last time with the metal roofs.

 

[WthrLady]

Hi! I’m brand new and building a coop. Do you have any suggestions for roofing material. I have several opossums in my area. Thinking plastic corrugated panels with hardware cloth underneath...would that be overkill or recommended?
Thank you!

My run rooves are 2x4 with hardware cloth above that. It is held on with screws and fender washers. Above that I have Corregated steel panels that were left over from an out building construction. The plastic would work too. The panels are screwed in with the rubber washer screws that are made for the paneling. They are screwed into the 2x4s.

 

[centrarchid]

There are multiple grades of chicken wire and hardware cloth. The chicken wire I use can last better than a decade, especially if protected from the rain. Regardless of whether chicken wire or hardware cloth is used, I try to make so predators cannot work on getting past it by making so the predators having other barriers to contend with. Those barriers can be height, another fence, or dogs. Another thing to reduce a predator's motivation for tearing through the chicken wire or hardware cloth is to make so predator not not get real close to chickens even before getting past the "barrier". For me, the barriers slow the bad guys down.

 

[starri33]

While I do agree with the hardware cloth vs. chicken wire, as one said it depends on your loss tolerance.. I have none and would sleep with them with a shotgun should I lose any to a coyote.. our biggest predator. Cost is a deterrent for a lot of folks. I've got hardware cloth skirting around my coop/run and then hardware cloth going 4' up the sides of the run, my coops are of solid design, they have solid floors with skirting as a just because on any side open to the yard. My run fencing is 8' tall. I personally prefer the hardware cloth to the chicken wire as I can walk by the chicken wire 3' away from it and come away bloody.

 

[chickenlittle21]

Do you have Arnold Schwarzenegger like chickens, lol

Speaking of Arnold Schwarzenegger, I have a rooster named Arnold Schwarzenegger!

 

[chickenlittle21]

To all you newbies!!!

Chicken wire: Only purpose is to keep chickens in.

Raccoons and coyotes (plus others) will easily rip through it. Smaller animals will chew it. If you use chicken wire for your pens, I recommend getting hardware cloth instead.

Chicken wire:
View attachment 2174585
Hardware Cloth:
View attachment 2174587
Please don't use chicken wire for your chickens housing!!!!
0 hy tJust a warning.

I disagree because chicken wire can also keep chickens out of areas you don't want them to go and if it is attached properly (stapled properly, cut to a good size, put on a good frame, etc.), chicken wire can keep lots of predators out (especially if you put cinderblocks around the coop after it was aligned with chicken wire).

 

[macbow]

@macbow - thought you might find this thread helpful. Look at the first post to find out all you need to know.

Thank you @cluckmecoop7

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I disagree because chicken wire can also keep chickens out of areas you don't want them to go and if it is attached properly (stapled properly, cut to a good size, put on a good frame, etc.), chicken wire can keep lots of predators out (especially if you put cinderblocks around the coop after it was aligned with chicken wire).

Nope.

 

[igorsMistress]

I agree to an extent. HWC is going to help stop smaller predators, but major things like bears it won't. But it also depends on the determination of the predator and any weak links in the structure, whether that be design or materials. I didn't vote.