1/4" or 1/2" hardware cloth (or does it really matter)

[ChickenOfSpades]

The biggest ground critters I'll be keeping out is a little dog, some neighborhood cats, and maybe a stray raccoon (although it's very unlikely where my house is. What is more commonly used? Thanks

 

[Lor]

1/4" hardware cloth clogs very easily. Dust, feathers etc. I would go with 1/2".

 

[tsperry88]

1/2 unless the chickens will be roosting within reach of a racoon. Rumor is they can reach their hand through and grab a chicken causing some damage. 1/2 is a larger gauge, and harder for most creatures to get through.

 

[Tookie]

I think raccoons can stick their hand through 1/2 inch hardware cloth. So maybe use 1/4 inch in coop and 1/2 inch in run?

 

[3KillerBs]

The problem with 1/4" hardware cloth is that it's a finer gauge wire and thus easier for a predator to rip through.

1/2' is sturdier.

 

[gtaus]

The biggest ground critters I'll be keeping out is a little dog, some neighborhood cats, and maybe a stray raccoon (although it's very unlikely where my house is. What is more commonly used? Thanks

My main concern for daytime predators was neighborhood dogs. My chicken run fencing is just 2X4 wire fencing and it has kept the wandering dogs out. At nighttime, I lock my chickens up in a Fort Knox coop. I have never seen any racoons around during the daytime.

Hardware cloth can be very expensive. I had to weigh the possibility of a daytime predator attack against the certainty of the cost of hardware cloth to protect my birds. I went with the much less expensive 2X4 fencing for the chicken run, adding bird netting on top, and was able to make a much, much larger chicken run for the birds to enjoy during the day.

In 3 years, I have not lost any birds to predators, so I think I made the right decisions for my flock. But, everyone has different concerns to consider and budgets vary from owner to owner. There are many ways to successfully raise a backyard flock. Don't lock yourself into thinking it's just 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch hardware cloth. You might not need that much expensive protection and your money might be spent better someplace else.

 

[3KillerBs]

Why I have hardware cloth -- this being what a pair of modest-sized terrier-ish dogs did to my brooder this morning: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/this-is-why-hardware-cloth.1526235/

 

[mowin]

My main concern for daytime predators was neighborhood dogs. My chicken run fencing is just 2X4 wire fencing and it has kept the wandering dogs out. At nighttime, I lock my chickens up in a Fort Knox coop. I have never seen any racoons around during the daytime.

Hardware cloth can be very expensive. I had to weigh the possibility of a daytime predator attack against the certainty of the cost of hardware cloth to protect my birds. I went with the much less expensive 2X4 fencing for the chicken run, adding bird netting on top, and was able to make a much, much larger chicken run for the birds to enjoy during the day.

In 3 years, I have not lost any birds to predators, so I think I made the right decisions for my flock. But, everyone has different concerns to consider and budgets vary from owner to owner. There are many ways to successfully raise a backyard flock. Don't lock yourself into thinking it's just 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch hardware cloth. You might not need that much expensive protection and your money might be spent better someplace else.

In your situation it made perfect sense to go with the 2x4 fencing.
I never close my pop doors. In fact my one coop doesn't even have a pop door. HC was the logical choice for me.
Lucky, I purchased a boat load of HC last yr when Lowe's was changing suppliers and had the old stuff on sale for probably 75% off, as I'm in the process of making one large coop and run, and getting rid of the two smaller ones.

 

[gtaus]

I never close my pop doors. In fact my one coop doesn't even have a pop door. HC was the logical choice for me.

Yep, setups make a difference.

 

[Crazychickengirl2]

Both? This is just a thought