Will opossums get through chicken wire?

[mopalia]

Because we are in central California, we've had a coop that is open at the top of the walls, but now we have an opossum coming in at night. My two options for securing the open space are chicken wire and cutttung sections or welded wire with 2"x4" spaces. Which will deter opossums? I'm worried that they will squeeze through the welded wire, I don't know how big it is, I've only identified it from scat, which suggests decent adult size. Thanks for advice.

Edit: It's done, some hardware cloth, some chicken wire. If anything gets in it will be because, in spite of instructions, the incompetent handyman who installed it used staples instead of screws and washers. When you're 80 and disabled, you are a victim of people who think they know better than you do. Thanks for all your helpful comments.

 

[nuthatched]

I'd do both.

 

[D13]

Chicken wire could work, but I also recommend Hardware Cloth. it's super strong and very durable; my dad plastered it to every single wall of our chicken coop and nothings ever gotten in there except mice

 

[Al Gerhart]

Ditto, back up the chicken wire or go with hardware cloth. If not for possums, to prevent dogs or coons from tearing through the chicken wire.

 

[mopalia]

Ditto, back up the chicken wire or go with hardware cloth. If not for possums, to prevent dogs or coons from tearing through the chicken wire.

Actually, in 8 years this is the first varmint of any kind that has tried to access the coop. I think it's because we are urban, surrounded by people with pit bulls in the yards, and a industrial complex behind an 8' cinder bloc wall, and they have a very aggressive rat control program. The only thing we get are cats, and the chickens don't seen bothered by them. Cost is an issue, and I'm trying to do what we can with what we have.

 

[mopalia]

Ditto, back up the chicken wire or go with hardware cloth. If not for possums, to prevent dogs or coons from tearing through the chicken wire.

It's going to be a mix, I think - found some hardware cloth, and will mix the chicken wire with the welded wire.

 

[Al Gerhart]

So it is impossible for one of those pit bulls to get to your coop?

I think your mix of HC and chicken wire will do fine then.

Best of luck.

 

[mopalia]

Chicken wire could work, but I also recommend Hardware Cloth. it's super strong and very durable; my dad plastered it to every single wall of our chicken coop and nothings ever gotten in there except mice

Agreed, it's the best, but I have only a 3'x5' roll of it, so we're mixing with what we have.

So it is impossible for one of those pit bulls to get to your coop?

I think your mix of HC and chicken wire will do fine then.

Best of luck.

Pretty impossible. chain link fences around all the neighbors, 6' cedar all around mine, except for the side with the 8' block wall. Lots of barking but no escapes. It's done, just will be checking every day to see if there are any incursions.

 

[D13]

Agreed, it's the best, but I have only a 3'x5' roll of it, so we're mixing with what we have.

Pretty impossible. chain link fences around all the neighbors, 6' cedar all around mine, except for the side with the 8' block wall. Lots of barking but no escapes. It's done, just will be checking every day to see if there are any incursions.

Wait, your neighbor has a bunch of BULLDOGS??

I'm not a dog person, but I especially don't like bulldogs.