Watch out between hardware cloth and wood!

[OreoH]

Hi everyone! I just wanted to share some experience with hardware cloth nailed to runs. I lost all of my chickens in one night a few months back ( I would've said something earlier but I haven't wanted to think about it) because I didn't notice there were gaps in time. I didn't want anyone else to make this mistake. If you use hardware cloth nailed to wooden (not sure what they're called, like the wooden rectangular sticks that home improvement stores sell) poles, make sure that the hardware cloth is flat! There are a lot of animals that can squeeze through tiny gaps. To stop them from peeling the cloth off, also use the heaviest duty nails or staples you can find and a lot of them. I hope this helps someone! It just makes me feel better to throw out a warning regardless of if people need it.

 

[casportpony]

Thanks for sharing & sorry for your loss.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

Hi everyone! I just wanted to share some experience with hardware cloth nailed to runs. I lost all of my chickens in one night a few months back ( I would've said something earlier but I haven't wanted to think about it) because I didn't notice there were gaps in time. I didn't want anyone else to make this mistake. If you use hardware cloth nailed to wooden (not sure what they're called, like the wooden rectangular sticks that home improvement stores sell) poles, make sure that the hardware cloth is flat! There are a lot of animals that can squeeze through tiny gaps. To stop them from peeling the cloth off, also use the heaviest duty nails or staples you can find and a lot of them. I hope this helps someone! It just makes me feel better to throw out a warning regardless of if people need it.

I’m so sorry about your Flockers! Wherever we attach the hardware cloth, we use screws and 1” washers to make sure no one but a bear can get in. The other option is to sandwich the wire between two boards that are screwed together. I did that around the people door into the run so I wouldn’t catch my clothes on the 2” by 4” fencing. You can see what I mean about sandwiching on the doorframe in the below pic. When are you going to get more chicks?

 

[OreoH]

I’m so sorry about your Flockers! Wherever we attach the hardware cloth, we use screws and 1” washers to make sure no one but a bear can get in. The other option is to sandwich the wire between two boards that are screwed together. I did that around the people door into the run so I wouldn’t catch my clothes on the 2” by 4” fencing. You can see what I mean about sandwiching on the doorframe in the below pic. When are you going to get more chicks?

View attachment 2716578

Thank you! It's really tempting, but I think I am going to take a break. We have to clear up what's left of the coop anyway. It was a very short project of a few months, but I got very attached very fast. We live in a densely wooded community and I think there has only been one of about fifty families who have successfully kept chickens over the winter, and they live downtown. I will definitely get more in the future though! So I'll still be looking around on Backyard Chickens.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

Thank you! It's really tempting, but I think I am going to take a break. We have to clear up what's left of the coop anyway. It was a very short project of a few months, but I got very attached very fast. We live in a densely wooded community and I think there has only been one of about fifty families who have successfully kept chickens over the winter, and they live downtown. I will definitely get more in the future though! So I'll still be looking around on Backyard Chickens.

I know what you mean. We are a 150+ acre hardwood tree farm, so have every predator on the continent hanging around like my coop is a KFC drive through...