Welded wire vs hardwire cloth

[kjames603]

Which one for a run?

As always, thanks!!

 

[HopeSprings]

You want the one with the smaller holes, like the half inch hardware cloth. Welded wire is usually a much more open material, right?

 

[Birdsong 82]

Welded wire is a very strong and good material. I use it for my goats fencing in my pics fencing but it is better to have something with the smaller holes. Hardware cloth can get very expensive if you have a very large one like mine. I used hardware cloth on some of mine but found different ideas to make the rest of mine safe without the large holes But hardware cloth probably is the best material that can be used. Especially towards the bottom

 

[cholland]

Depends on what you are trying keep out. 2x4 welded wire works great for the bulk of the run. Keeps chickens in and most larger preditors out. Some preditors will dig under so many people bury hardware cloth into the ground or lay a skirt about a foot our more out from the side.
I have had great success just running an electric fence wire around the bottom outside.

Hardware cloth on coop windows and such to keep the small rodent preditors out of the coop. Some people use hardware cloth only on the bottom couple feet of the run. But my birds are only out during the day. I haven't found that necessary.

 

[FowlWitch]

For my first run I used hardware cloth for the bottom of the run and covered that in dirt, then put more around the perimeter to keep raccoons out. I've found I haven't really had any issues with digging predators, so for the second coop, I put welded wire for the floor (then buried with dirt), but I'm still using hardware cloth for the perimeter. I was considering using welded wire to cover the top of the run, but the local ravens and stellar's jays keep all the hawks away, so I'm moving over to regular bird netting to save myself money. I also had an issue with snow last winter; the snow would accumulate on the hardware cloth because the holes were so small and ended up crushing the roof of my run. I'm hoping the bird netting won't have the same issue.

 

[Alaskan]

I have had a stray dog grab welded wire and yank... popping the welds.

Woven wire would be more dog proof, but most have holes large enough for chicks to run out and weasels, rats, mice, and sparrows to get in.

 

[archeryrob]

I use 2x4 welded wire 48" tall around the bottom. Chicken wire over that and a ceiling 8' - 9' up. Take the left over and cut it in half and use it as the apron. Clip it on with hog rings and bend the long 4" cut point 90° and pus them into the ground.

 

[TexasWineGuy]

I use 2x4 welded wire 48" tall around the bottom. Chicken wire over that and a ceiling 8' - 9' up. Take the left over and cut it in half and use it as the apron. Clip it on with hog rings and bend the long 4" cut point 90° and pus them into the ground.

AR, got a pic of that? I can't quite picture your entire process.

Thanks,
TWG

 

[archeryrob]

First pic overall run showing the wire. Chicken wire is over lapped three holes and cut every so often to tie them together. Two weeks ago and the calluses are not off my fingertips yet. They wire is unforgiving to work with. My legs looked like I ran through stickers.

Second pic is the 2x4 wire cut in half, The long wires were bent 90 degrees and pushed into the ground with my shoes slowly. The hog ring is right in front of my foot joining the two. The apron is spaled to the sill board on the door.

AR, got a pic of that? I can't quite picture your entire process.

Thanks,
TWG

 

[archeryrob]

This one could be twisted better but its on there I usually spin it around again on the tags so it's pointing down.

The chicken wire waisted to the 2x4 wire