What gage hardware cloth is sufficient?

[Cooperkeeper]

We are building the coop and will need a substantial amount of hardware cloth for security so I am checking prices for bulk rolls. Is 19 gage sufficient? Jumping to 16 gage triples the price..ugh! Any thoughts?

 

[GiddyMoon]

I have seen a lot of people talk about the 19 gauge..that stuff is still very strong.

 

[latebloomer]

can i jump in with a question?(that wasn't my question)

is half inch by half inch spacing what people are typically using when they say hardware cloth?

 

[GiddyMoon]

Yes and some people use the one inch too

 

[NormansGal44]

My neighbor and I split a 100' roll we found on Amazon for $84 (with free shipping). It is 19 gauge (I believe), 3' high and 1/2 squares. I never thought I'd find such a great deal on Amazon.....

 

[leight54]

How about 23 gauge? Anyone used that? Seems like it'd be easier to work with, if it's strong enough? (1/4 inch)

 

[leight54]

Anybody?

 

[elmo]

Quote:
Sorry, but you may have gotten galvanized before weld wire at that price. You have to check the description carefully. Galvanized before weld wire will rust more quickly than galvanized after weld wire because the welding process strips away some of the zinc coating at the places where the wires cross, and this means the wire won't last as long (will rust through and break at these points). The galvanized after weld wire is usually more expensive, but it lasts longer.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
What critters do you contend with? Some folks here have to worry about large dogs roaming their property, bear, bobcat, etc. The other factor is your security strategy. I used 19 gauge 1/2 by 1/2 inch wire for the run, but 16 gauge 1/2 by 1/2 inch wire to cover the coop's windows and vents. Our yard is fenced with a solid board fence, so neighborhood dogs won't likely get in, and we don't have any larger predators to worry about where we live (thankfully). At night, when predator risk is higher (raccoons, for example), our chickens are locked inside the coop.

19 gauge wire is thin enough for me to bend with my hands and to cut easily with tin snips. I think a very determined critter with time and teeth could probably gnaw through it if it could get its grinding teeth into it, but I think the small openings like 1/2" by 1/2" would make that difficult to do (that's my theory, anyway). I wouldn't use anything thinner than the 19 gauge, personally.

The 16 gauge wire is very tough stuff. I can't bend it, and it's an awful job to cut it with tin snips. I would be amazed if any critter could chew or tear through this wire.

 

[leight54]

Thanks!

I live in town, with a fence-in yard - wood fencing about 5 feet high. So the only critters I'm expecting are raccoons, cats and possums. The hens will be closed in their coop at night, where I'll have 19 gauge over the windows. I will also use 19 gauge on the small run directly beneath the raised coop. But I want to extend that to a larger area , maybe 8' x 12' total, and am considering the cost of the hardware cloth. I don't like the look of chicken wire, and I'm trying to make it as inconspicuous as possible. (I'll be painting the hardware cloth black)