What gauge wire for fox/raccon protection in outside daytime run?

[LesleyKing]

Hello,
I'm building an outdoor daytime run area for the girls. They will be locked up in the coop at night. The walls will be 1 x 1 inch 16g PVC coated wire, buried to 18 inches. There are raccoons and foxes in the area. Any advice about the roof? Can I use 2 x 3 inch welded wire, or is 2 x 4 OK? Is 16 or 14 gauge sufficient, or will they chew through that and I should go for 12 gauge? Thanks in advance for your input/advice.

 

[1muttsfan]

Any of those would work. I would suggest hardware cloth around the bottom 2' of your run, raccoons can reach through 1" wire, grab a chicken and drag it to the fence, and kill it.

 

[LesleyKing]

Thanks for your advice - I will add the hardware cloth.
Do you really think that 14g wire is ok? Seems a bit flimsy/easily bent to me, but its cheaper than 12g and would be easier to work with. Thanks again!

 

[1muttsfan]

If it is backed by heavier wire it will likely be fine, I probably wouldn't use it alone on the sides though. For covering your run regular chicken wire would work fine. I use heavy-duty poultry netting which has worked well for years.

 

[B-Goock]

You may want to turn the buried wire out in an L shape so if they dig down they will hit wire instead of the bottom of the buried wire. Animals aren't smart enough to figure out if they go 2' away from the fence and dig down they can get under the wire. They just dig directly at the fence.

I buried mine 12-18" down and the turn out about the same. Lots of digging.

 

[LesleyKing]

Thanks so much. I appreciate the helpful tips!

 

[CrazyTalk]

Thanks for your advice - I will add the hardware cloth.
Do you really think that 14g wire is ok? Seems a bit flimsy/easily bent to me, but its cheaper than 12g and would be easier to work with. Thanks again!

14g woven wire fence works just fine at keeping my 150-200lb sheep where they need to be (and they like to scratch themselves with it and lean on it)