What chews through chicken wire?

[Karenft]

Had ten of my beautiful plump chickens taken last night. Whatever it was it ate through chicken wire.

 

[Shellz]

Sorry for your loss. Just about anything with teeth could chew through chicken wire. A better option would be hardware cloth. I've set up a trail cam in the past to find out what critters are around. Once you know what you're dealing with, the better you can prepare to be rid of it. If not all of your birds were taken, it will be back for the rest. Best of luck to you!

 

[new user]

Had ten of my beautiful plump chickens taken last night. Whatever it was it ate through chicken wire.

Sorry for your loss.

Chicken wire is to keep chickens in, but thats about it. Try hardware mesh next time as it stronger.

If you search ebay, you can find it in various sizes, lengths and heights

 

[123RedBeard]

If you get the 36" tall/wide 1/2" hardware "cloth" (really wire fencing!) place it in a "L" with only 18" going up your fence post, the other 18" can either be buried going out away from the fence line, on the outside, or just laid on the ground held down with rocks ... This will prevent digging ... Using 48" hardware cloth would allow you 30" above ground of hardware cloth ... This stuff is only 1/2" squares so hard for a critter to get its mouth into, and it is welded ever 1/2" too!

Then add 1"X2" welded wire above the 18" of hardware cloth to make as high of a fence as you want ... 3' (36") would give you a 4.5' tall fence ...

Then you could add a "hot wire" (electric) around the bottom 6"-8" above the ground, and one more at the top ...

Then you only have to worry about arial type preditors ...

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome, and sorry for your loss. Many of us have learned the hard way that chicken is on everyone's menu. My coop and run area are as secure as I can make them; only electric would be added if we had bears. Hardware cloth with either cattle panels or woven wire on top, well secured with fence staples and wood screwed on top. A solid foundation. Roofing or a secure top of some kind. Overkill? Maybe, but I hate loosing birds that way! My unfinished coop upgrade, still needs staining. Old shingles don't blend well with the new ones, but never mind. Mary

 

[slingshotandLAR]

That stinks...

If you don't have one get a live trap and set it it the coop. If you have carcasses use them as bait otherwise marshmellows.

It's almost certainly a raccoon or a group of raccoons. Keep the trap or traps set and use extreme prejudice once they are caught.

 

[alibabba]

Hey there,

So sorry for the loss.


Anything can get through. Electric poly wire is cheap and easy.

 

[alibabba]

An easy entry trap might work. then you have to deal with the animal. rehome, which usually kills the animal, cept for maybe a possum which wasnt much harm anyway.

kill the animal. More will come to fill the gap. Look it up. Plus, these animals belong in the environment, people things and chickens do not, unless you live in the jungles of Asia.



Dig a barrier with a top to the run, yeah right.



Electric fence is AWESOME!