Using chicken wire - am I signing their death warrant?

[mlbuttercup]

This is getting sooooooo expensive. Even using lots of recycled materials my total is already over $150. I can't afford to spend so much money on hardware cloth.

I live in the country so there are wild animals like copperheads, raccoons, coyotes and hawks. I would lock them in their coop at night. Would it really be so dangerous to use chicken wire for daytime use? Why does hardware cloth have to be so expensive?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

There are a few options that can be considered here.
First, how secure do you want your birds to be? Are you emotionally prepared for a few losses or are you one that can't even begin to imagine the loss of a bird to predation? This is going to have to play into your plans as the latter is much more in need of taking the "Ft Knox" approach than the former who could easily get away with free ranging, open air run, etc. Neither is right or wrong, just a different mindset.
You can be pretty secure without wrapping everything in hardware cloth (despite some of what you might read/hear). Poultry netting itself, though, provides no protection whatsoever from even the least of the predators likely to come for your birds - it is intended to keep poultry in or out of an area, not to keep any other animal in or out of that same area. You can, though, use poultry netting *with* some other items to both confine your birds and keep the risk of predation reasonably minimized. Some options are poultry netting over heavier gauge wire such as field fencing, livestock panels, etc -- the heavier wire will withstand more than the poultry netting, but the larger openings leave the risk of different predators being able to get through. You can add some electric fencing - a strand a few inches off the ground around the perimeter will be something most ground predators will encounter with their nose due to the way they tend to approach an enclosure and the shock will send them on their way -- a strand higher up can help dissuade climbers. You can do hardware cloth just around the base of the enclosure (over poultry netting, field fence, etc) - going just 2-3 feet up will afford your birds considerable protection in the part of the run most likely to be targeted for entry. Likewise, a skirt of heavier wire, pavers, etc that runs a foot or two out around the edge of the run will provide protection against those that might dig into the run.
I have a cattle panel hoop style run with poultry netting over the panels with electric wire. My run is not predator "proof" and I am aware of that - but it has worked for us so far and I am fully aware that I am accepting the risk that something *could* overcome those barriers and get at the birds - I have accepted that risk.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Meant to add - cooping at night is a good idea as it does put that extra layer of security in place during the time the birds are at their most vulnerable.

 

[rides2far]

I had to use chicken wire for my run because of cost. It really depends on where your coop is. My coop is in my backyard, surrounded by a chain link fence. We also have 3 watch dogs 24/7 in our backyard. I lock the chicks up in a very secure well built coop. So far, everything has been fine. They've been out for two months. That being said, something could get into my run during the day & I could lose my chicks. You have to look at many factors before deciding what you need to do. Good luck & best wishes

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! I agree with both posters above. It's a trade off between upfront costs and risk. My coop is solid, and my run was semi-safe for daytime, so the birds were locked in every night. I'm now having a very safe run built, (after twenty years!) and am delighted. Finding dead and dying birds out there in the morning is NOT fun, and only you can decide how to manage your flock. Many of us start with good intentions and poor security, and over the years, and bad experiences, develop better facilities. Mary