Which type of Hardware Cloth

[arazla]

Okay, thanks so much!

 

[Mouthpear]

Thank you. Yardguard is what I got, so that's good to know. Just the wrong gauge. I think 1" or bigger will be too large of an opening for where I live. I just heard of a mink killing a whole flock nearby. So you're going with 14 gauge which is super strong! Was it easy to work with?

1x1 is great. If you have small predators then yes use it. We don't have many here. So I use the 1x2. I like it because I can hang 1x2 slats for roosting bars or food hanging bars

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thank you, but isn't 2x2" too large? Everything I've watched or read seems to be recommending 1/2".

Really depends on what you're dealing with. 1/2" 19 ga HWC is the standard for most set ups - excludes everything small except the smallest of mice and should prevent raccoons from reaching in. 16 ga is more expensive and harder to find but stronger.

For the apron, you'll see folks using a variety of wire sizes, again, it depends on what you're trying to keep out. I have 1/2" on the apron because we do have rats and other critters that might try to burrow. But if you're mainly trying to keep out larger diggers like dogs, a wire with bigger openings should be fine for the apron since it will still deter digging.

 

[arazla]

The aprons and vent coverings were from a smaller roll I bought with 1/2" size openings so I think that part is good. But it's 23 gauge so my only concern is whether minks or weasels would chew through it.

 

[FunClucks]

If racoons or mink or large snakes are present in your area, they can reach right through or enter through 1" openings. If you have your chickens shut into a coop at night with no gaps at all larger than 1/2", using 1"x2" welded wire in the run may not be an issue, but if they roost in the run at night or sleep there during the day, and the roost goes right up to the 1"x2" wire, you'll need to put a plywood panel up or something where the roost meets the wire to prevent racoons reaching through at night and tearing the heads off the chickens through the wire.

Mink and mice and rats and songbirds can go through 1"x2" welded wire and spread disease. But if your birds free range, they already get exposure to these guys, so the concern there is protecting your feed and water and eggs in the nest boxes. Some folks run a foot or two high strip of 1/2" hardware cloth around the bottom edge of the run, and it does help to reduce predator entry for some predators.

It's a tradeoff between cost of the fencing and protection factor for the chickens. Galvanized 1/2" 19 gage hardware cloth is the gold standard for most people, but is significantly more expensive than welded wire. In some situations and some areas, welded wire is enough.

Heck, some folks can even use chicken wire for years before they have an issue, and it's pretty well known that predators will go right through that like it's not even there. [But when predators do discover they can get through the chicken wire, entire flocks are devastated, so please only use that inside a secure run to keep chicken in, not predators out.]

I covered my entire greenhouse frame open air covered run in 1/2" 19 gage hardware cloth, and put down a 3 ft apron of the same material. We have a high predator and pest load year round (hawks, coyotes, dogs, cats, snakes, racoons, mink, possum, foxes, rats, mice, etc.). Every day, I go out, and something's been digging above the apron, even 2.5' from the coop. I don't have a traditional coop I shut them into at night, so I have to be sure there are absolutely no gaps anywhere greater than 1/2". I haven't had any losses, and it's been over a year, so I think I did pretty good for a first coop build. In my area, I get a month or two of weather below freezing and a couple inches of snow a year, maybe, so I have very different requirements than most folks in more northern latitudes. I put plastic up on my run to reduce wind in the winter time, and the chickens have made it through -9F temps with no issues.

Also, galvanized hardware cloth works because the zinc coating reacts with moisture instead of letting the steel wire do it - you can probably lay it out as an apron for 12-15 years with no issues, depending on your weather. I recommend hot dip galvanized instead of electro-galvanized wire (hot dip galvanized wire looks uglier and more droopy because it has more zinc present on the wire to react with moisture to protect the wire). Electro galvanized wire is shinier and less gloopy, but it has less protection for the wire.

Good luck figuring things out!

 

[FunClucks]

The aprons and vent coverings were from a smaller roll I bought with 1/2" size openings so I think that part is good. But it's 23 gauge so my only concern is whether minks or weasels would chew through it.

Good question. If you're worried, you can put another sheet of 1/2" wire over it. Like a picture frame, with wire instead of glass in it.

Someone on here would probably know if mink or weasels can chew through 23 gage, but I don't. Might post that as a thread title and ask the community - there's got to be someone on here who has personal experience.

 

[Mouthpear]

If racoons or mink or large snakes are present in your area, they can reach right through or enter through 1" openings. If you have your chickens shut into a coop at night with no gaps at all larger than 1/2", using 1"x2" welded wire in the run may not be an issue, but if they roost in the run at night or sleep there during the day, and the roost goes right up to the 1"x2" wire, you'll need to put a plywood panel up or something where the roost meets the wire to prevent racoons reaching through at night and tearing the heads off the chickens through the wire.

Mink and mice and rats and songbirds can go through 1"x2" welded wire and spread disease. But if your birds free range, they already get exposure to these guys, so the concern there is protecting your feed and water and eggs in the nest boxes. Some folks run a foot or two high strip of 1/2" hardware cloth around the bottom edge of the run, and it does help to reduce predator entry for some predators.

It's a tradeoff between cost of the fencing and protection factor for the chickens. Galvanized 1/2" 19 gage hardware cloth is the gold standard for most people, but is significantly more expensive than welded wire. In some situations and some areas, welded wire is enough.

Heck, some folks can even use chicken wire for years before they have an issue, and it's pretty well known that predators will go right through that like it's not even there. [But when predators do discover they can get through the chicken wire, entire flocks are devastated, so please only use that inside a secure run to keep chicken in, not predators out.]

I covered my entire greenhouse frame open air covered run in 1/2" 19 gage hardware cloth, and put down a 3 ft apron of the same material. We have a high predator and pest load year round (hawks, coyotes, dogs, cats, snakes, racoons, mink, possum, foxes, rats, mice, etc.). Every day, I go out, and something's been digging above the apron, even 2.5' from the coop. I don't have a traditional coop I shut them into at night, so I have to be sure there are absolutely no gaps anywhere greater than 1/2". I haven't had any losses, and it's been over a year, so I think I did pretty good for a first coop build. In my area, I get a month or two of weather below freezing and a couple inches of snow a year, maybe, so I have very different requirements than most folks in more northern latitudes. I put plastic up on my run to reduce wind in the winter time, and the chickens have made it through -9F temps with no issues.

Also, galvanized hardware cloth works because the zinc coating reacts with moisture instead of letting the steel wire do it - you can probably lay it out as an apron for 12-15 years with no issues, depending on your weather. I recommend hot dip galvanized instead of electro-galvanized wire (hot dip galvanized wire looks uglier and more droopy because it has more zinc present on the wire to react with moisture to protect the wire). Electro galvanized wire is shinier and less gloopy, but it has less protection for the wire.

Good luck figuring things out!

We don't have mink or weasels here, but we do have possums. Those bast@#$#s are just as visuos. They will grab a chicken's head and rip it off, just like racoons do. But I have had yet one get to the chickens at night or day.

We do have to occasional snake here. It is Texas. Them rattlers! But none have gotten into the cage(1x2). I did forget to mention that the bottom is overlapped and stagarded. SORRY. So in reality it is like a 1/2"x1".

 

[Mouthpear]

Okay, thanks so much!

I did forget to mention that the bottom is overlapped and stagarded. SORRY. So in reality it is like a 1/2"x1".

 

[rosemarythyme]

The aprons and vent coverings were from a smaller roll I bought with 1/2" size openings so I think that part is good. But it's 23 gauge so my only concern is whether minks or weasels would chew through it.

My guess is it's unlikely those would get through - they're strong, but small. But although I have some sort of weasel here (one was walking down my driveway) they've never tested my run fencing far as I can tell. Weasels are less diggers and more opportunists as far as trying to infiltrate underground, they follow burrowing rodents in through the holes they dig. So the goal is to prevent rats and such from digging in in the first place.

Vent coverings I'd be a little less worried about, especially if they're up high, mostly because the pest/predator would have to climb up to the opening, hang on, and chew/tear at the same time - just a little less likely to happen all at once like that.

 

[arazla]

If racoons or mink or large snakes are present in your area, they can reach right through or enter through 1" openings. If you have your chickens shut into a coop at night with no gaps at all larger than 1/2", using 1"x2" welded wire in the run may not be an issue, but if they roost in the run at night or sleep there during the day, and the roost goes right up to the 1"x2" wire, you'll need to put a plywood panel up or something where the roost meets the wire to prevent racoons reaching through at night and tearing the heads off the chickens through the wire.

Mink and mice and rats and songbirds can go through 1"x2" welded wire and spread disease. But if your birds free range, they already get exposure to these guys, so the concern there is protecting your feed and water and eggs in the nest boxes. Some folks run a foot or two high strip of 1/2" hardware cloth around the bottom edge of the run, and it does help to reduce predator entry for some predators.

It's a tradeoff between cost of the fencing and protection factor for the chickens. Galvanized 1/2" 19 gage hardware cloth is the gold standard for most people, but is significantly more expensive than welded wire. In some situations and some areas, welded wire is enough.

Heck, some folks can even use chicken wire for years before they have an issue, and it's pretty well known that predators will go right through that like it's not even there. [But when predators do discover they can get through the chicken wire, entire flocks are devastated, so please only use that inside a secure run to keep chicken in, not predators out.]

I covered my entire greenhouse frame open air covered run in 1/2" 19 gage hardware cloth, and put down a 3 ft apron of the same material. We have a high predator and pest load year round (hawks, coyotes, dogs, cats, snakes, racoons, mink, possum, foxes, rats, mice, etc.). Every day, I go out, and something's been digging above the apron, even 2.5' from the coop. I don't have a traditional coop I shut them into at night, so I have to be sure there are absolutely no gaps anywhere greater than 1/2". I haven't had any losses, and it's been over a year, so I think I did pretty good for a first coop build. In my area, I get a month or two of weather below freezing and a couple inches of snow a year, maybe, so I have very different requirements than most folks in more northern latitudes. I put plastic up on my run to reduce wind in the winter time, and the chickens have made it through -9F temps with no issues.

Also, galvanized hardware cloth works because the zinc coating reacts with moisture instead of letting the steel wire do it - you can probably lay it out as an apron for 12-15 years with no issues, depending on your weather. I recommend hot dip galvanized instead of electro-galvanized wire (hot dip galvanized wire looks uglier and more droopy because it has more zinc present on the wire to react with moisture to protect the wire). Electro galvanized wire is shinier and less gloopy, but it has less protection for the wire.

Good luck figuring things out!

Thanks, that's really helpful. I have a similar climate probably, but we definitely get more snow. So in other words, if I'm understanding correctly, if it doesn't say galvanized, it's probably not as strong? For example this is available now, but it doesn't say galvanized in the description. Seems hard to find 100 ft of galvanized hardware cloth available in store. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbil...Gauge-Steel-Hardware-Cloth-308226EB/205960849