Wire for the coop?

[jokerone]

Tell me if this is correct.

Chicken wire keeps chickens in but it does nothing to protect against racoons, coyotes, etc.


The welds in welded wire can be broken by large Racoons.

Galvanized hardware cloth would be the best bet.

thanks.

 

[dheltzel]

If the coons bring along their wire cutters, they can get through anything

I suppose there is really flimsy welded wire that a large coon could break, but I've never seen anything that thin. The bigger risk with welded wire is that they can reach through and grab a bird. They may kill or main that way, so anyplace they can sit an reach through should have HW cloth for safety. Or you could use both welded wire and an inner layer of chicken wire, that would be hard for them to maneuver through.

I use a lot of welded wire because it is about half the price of HW cloth. Got burned once on a small cage, but it's the bomb for large runs where the birds go into an attached building to roost at night. Even if the coon comes when they are out in the run, the birds can see and stay away, the danger is at night if they get spooked by a coon on one side and go crowd up against the other side where the other coon is picking them off.

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

Correct.

I think I've read a few times that some believe welded is best but that is just opinion. I went with hardware cloth.

 

[The Lazy L]

1/2" x 1/2" hardware cloth (wire) is the best protection from the majority of predators.

 

[dheltzel]

Just think through what would happen if a coon reached a paw through in the middle of the night, and you'll have your answer. If it's a covered run where the chickens are roosting inside (even with an open door to the run), then the coon is just going to be waving at his friend on the other side, but if it's at 2 sq foot cage in the yard, then yeah, the welded wire by itself is a really bad idea.

 

[jokerone]

the idea is to have a coop/tractor about 8 foot long by about 5 foot wide with the roast/nesting in the top.