Hardware cloth saved the day!

[Coopnrun]

After studying the post on this forum I decided against using the “Chicken Wire” for my run and went with the Hardware Cloth. Best decision ever! Has turned away squirrels, raccoons, crows, hawks, dogs and most recently a coyote. Most of these attempts on my hens were caught on a game camera but I set and watched a rat snake make several attempts on entry before I relocated him. If you have a new coop or run planned I recommend galvanized hardware cloth!

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

Happy to hear your chickens were kept safe! There are so many horror stories on this forum, it’s great to hear when something worked well!

 

[Eggs_Over_EZ]

Good call. We are putting together our coop and temporarily using a cattle panel coop and covering with chicken wire and then on the bottom wrapping with hardware cloth. We have all those predator possibilities and do not intend to open a buffet for them.

 

[Charlotteandfriends]

After studying the post on this forum I decided against using the “Chicken Wire” for my run and went with the Hardware Cloth. Best decision ever! Has turned away squirrels, raccoons, crows, hawks, dogs and most recently a coyote. Most of these attempts on my hens were caught on a game camera but I set and watched a rat snake make several attempts on entry before I relocated him. If you have a new coop or run planned I recommend galvanized hardware cloth!

Yes! Always always hardware cloth!! When we built our coop, we used chicken wire... About less than a year later, something ripped right through the rusted chicken wire, killed our favorite rooster, and took three beautiful teenage bantam chickens... I would ALWAYS recommend 1/2 hardware cloth! Thank you for putting this post out there!!

Best wishes to you,
Charlotteandfriends

 

[Eggs_Over_EZ]

We have finished wrapping our first coop with chicken wire and have 1/4” hardware cloth back to front on the sides. The front will be all hardware with the back being 2x8x10 up until the top 1/4 which will be hardware cloth. We are adding another piece of hardware cloth up on top and a 3rd 2x8x10 at the bottom on the sides. A tarp will cover the roast and some of the run. We are putting cinder block along with a skirt that goes out from the bottom along with cinder blocks. Hopefully this will keep critters out.

 

[rosemarythyme]

We are putting cinder block along with a skirt that goes out from the bottom along with cinder blocks. Hopefully this will keep critters out.

If you're bordering with cinder blocks remember that the skirt itself has to extend past the edge of the blocks an additional 18-24" - the trick with an apron is that predators/pests will start digging at the edge of the fence (or blocks) and then maybe move back a bit to find where they can get in, so anything covered by large border items like pavers or blocks eats up some of the coverage.

To save on materials I'd axe the blocks completely and use landscape staples to secure the apron down on the ground, and/or bury it a couple inches under the mulch there and let the grass grow back in to help hold it down.