using plastic fencing instead of chicken wire for coup rebuild

[WindingRoad]

My first project would be a chicken coup we built the current one out of a metal dog run and a sheet of plywood at the beginning of the plague, then stole 3 of my aunts chickens. The actual laying box and roost is nice as I rebuilt that later, but the run is a hot mess.its only for 3 chickens so it's ok. I'm going to rebuild the qauil coop after that. It's nice but it could be much better and I'd like something I could stand up in. The current one can be walked into but I have to open the lid to step in. It's only 3 feet tall.

And rats? I hadn't been thinking of rats. I'm in the suburbs of Chicago. My biggest threat is going to be raccoons I figured. And they'd probably pick the lock before chewing through! We've a few foxes and coyotes as around as well, but rats? Mice sure, chipmunks, I'll Have to check over what I have already with rats in mind.

Problem with rats is that they will tunnel right under it. And they tunnel deep. So even a hard cloth barrier probably wouldn't keep them out. I was reading that Chicago is considered the rat capital of America.

 

[WindingRoad]

That's deer fencing. I have friends who use it. It's FAR stronger than the standard galvanized rubbish. I would highly recommend it! It's designed to stop deer and I guarantee a racoon wouldn't be able to tear it.
Watch out coz it's sharp as well sometimes.

I don't think deer tear up fencing.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Honestly I don’t think that would stop a determined predator. Chicken wire wouldn’t either for that matter.

 

[Kel60]

I'm not really in chicago proper. You drive 10 minutes west of me and your in the corn fields, hence why I didnt really think of rats. I'm way on the outskirts.

Well, general consensus here seems to be a no go on using it. It would have been nice to not get shredded while making the new coop. I swear I cant go 30s with hardware cloth/chicken wire without ripping myself to shreds, even with gloves.

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

I hate working with hardware cloth too. Be sure to include an apron at the bottom, buried or not. Here's the thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ound-coop-and-hardware-cloth-question.352928/

This will help keep predators from digging beneath. BTW, you probably have rats in the area. Nearly everyone does. I'm sure if you asked the corn farmers, they'd tell you the same.

 

[jeepgrrl]

We used that type of fencing to protect an area we reseeded from our three dogs. As the new grass grew in, something (rabbits?) chewed holes along the bottom of the fence. Towards the end of summer the fence became brittle and little pieces were breaking off. Then, one of the huskies decided to try and jump through it, and that was pretty much the end of the fence.

I wouldn’t trust anything other than hardware cloth for protecting my girls. Yes, it is terrible to work with, but I bought a pair of thick deerskin work gloves from a home improvement store and those have done a great job protecting my hands from the sharp wires. Good luck with whatever barrier you choose to go with!

 

[jeepgrrl]

I hate working with hardware cloth too. Be sure to include an apron at the bottom, buried or not. Here's the thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ound-coop-and-hardware-cloth-question.352928/

This will help keep predators from digging beneath. BTW, you probably have rats in the area. Nearly everyone does. I'm sure if you asked the corn farmers, they'd tell you the same.

It’s a lot of work to bury the hardware cloth, but I sleep like a baby knowing my girls are safe. That is the one thing that is stopping me from getting a larger coop - burying the hardware cloth again, lol! I guess I could always rent one of those mini-trenchers...

 

[papajoesfarm]

My first project would be a chicken coup we built the current one out of a metal dog run and a sheet of plywood at the beginning of the plague, then stole 3 of my aunts chickens. The actual laying box and roost is nice as I rebuilt that later, but the run is a hot mess.its only for 3 chickens so it's ok. I'm going to rebuild the qauil coop after that. It's nice but it could be much better and I'd like something I could stand up in. The current one can be walked into but I have to open the lid to step in. It's only 3 feet tall.

And rats? I hadn't been thinking of rats. I'm in the suburbs of Chicago. My biggest threat is going to be raccoons I figured. And they'd probably pick the lock before chewing through! We've a few foxes and coyotes as around as well, but rats? Mice sure, chipmunks, I'll Have to check over what I have already with rats in mind.

Jeepgrrl is right.

For a chicken run, you can't beat hardware cloth. It's pricier than chicken wire or the green plastic, and is a challenge to work with at first until you get the hang of it. But it will keep your flock safe. All of our permanant runs were built from hardware cloth, on all sides and on the ceilings, as well as a foot down in the Central Florida soil. I have watched raccoons, foxes, and Hawks, try, and fail, to breach the runs. It won't stand up to bears, but I'm guessing that won't be a problem around Chicago, unless you are near Soldier's Field.

 

[kcan2]

It would have been nice to not get shredded while making the new coop.

There are some leftover hardware cloth scraps in the barn and I swear they can poke me from a distance. I avoid eye contact as much as possible because it makes me nervous when I recall all of the impaling (mistakenly wore shorts and no gloves) and near loss of eyeballs that occurred when it would roll itself back up