Will 2"x4" welded wire mesh keep skunks n racoons out of my coop area?

[NoelC]

I'm finally getting around to putting a pen around my small 3-bird coop, and wanted to use a pre-made dog kennel which is 8'x8'x6' and is make with 8 gauge welded steel wire 2"x4" grid pattern. I know it's plenty strong enough, and I don't think a skunk or whatever can squeeze thru a 2" x 4" opening, but I could be mistaken about that. What do you think? We don't have weasels here, but I bet they could squeeze thru!

Noel

 

[ctbagley]

Sounds like you have a good start on protecting your chickens, BUT you would be shocked to see what can get through 2" holes. I would suggest that you puchase a large roll of 48" tall galvanized hardware cloth. Bend the bottom twelve inches and use landscape staples to put it into the ground. Use zip ties (lots of them or some wire) to attach it up the sides of the pen. We also put bird netting (get it at lowes for $15 100 foot roll) around the bottom and over the top of the pen. This keeps out hawks and also catches a lot of black snakes....just got another one this week-end here. They start through it and get caught, can't back out. We even went so far as to put up two strands of electric fence around the perimeter. I suggest reading the predator posts...it is surprising what they can get into. Good luck and enjoy those chickens.

 

[teach1rusl]

My run is made of the 2x4 welded wire, including as a ceiling/roof. I do have hardware cloth overlapping the bottom 24 inches to prevent reach-ins at ground level. Other than snakes (just little cornsnakes) and mice...and MOLES

, nothing has gotten inside. We do have raccoons here, as I've seen their droppings and a few young coons, but none have entered the run.

ETA: I have no doubt that something the size of a weasel or squirrel could mosey right through though - guess we don't have a weasel population in this area???

 

[ladyride]

Quote:
x2 I have a chain link dog kennel with the hardware cloth

 

[NoelC]

Quote:
I'm not worried about crawling under, that's taken care of. Our chickens will be free pastured most of the time but hopefully go in their coop/pen in the evening and we will close the door! We are going to put this on a slab floor and bolt it down on the corners, so no need for wire around the perimeter. From the other poster, sounds like we may be ok w 2x4" welded wire as we don't seem to have troubles w/ weasels, but I also could be wrong there! My inclination may be to give it a try sans other solutions and see. Thanks, I will take a look at the predator posts and see what lurks that I haven't thought of!

 

[NoelC]

Quote:
OK we were planning on the welded wire top too. The periphery is no problem as the whole thing will sit on a slab and will be bolted down in a couple of places so nuttin' will be able to get under except small varmints. I think we may give this set up a try, and if troubles come add some add'l wire maybe, or electricity! They will be pastured chickens, just about 3 of them, so they won't be spending tons of time in their pen, we hope! I'm jazzed about the pen/slab solution because it will be pretty easy to keep clean just by hosing it down--won't even have to go inside to do it. The inside of our lil coop has a drawer that we will put pine shavings in and empty every day or two I guess. We plan as I say to use the welded wire top and then roof it with . . . a thatch roof! Should look pretty cool if nothing else. Best go read about predators I haven't thought of yet!

Noel

 

[joncro55]

If you decide to go with the galvanized hardware cloth 48" roll, absolutely fold the bottom 12" and staple or fasten somehow into the ground. You migth not be worried about anything getting underneath for now, but pests are just unbelievably sneaky.

Another aspect to watch will be the height of the fence. Make sure that this is high enough to keep everything out, some critters may be small, but they can climb and they will find a way in. Take the fox in my yard for instance, climbed a hardware cloth type of fence 60" high in about 5 seconds flat without even thinking twice.

I have recently used the welded wire cloth, very tough material and will last a long time. Hard to manuever and fasten because of the stiffness of the material but has absolutely done the job protecting the birds.

Good sources might be either Mcmaste Carr industrial supply, or http://www.bwire.com/

Bought a roll from bwire before, and the price was the best that I found on the net. When you call Mcmaster the price always changes because theya re a buy/sell operation, so at time you may get a steal while other times you might get ripped off.

 

[pawsplus]

I really recommend using WOVEN wire, not welded. Welded wire can be destroyed by strong animals (including dogs), while that's almost impossible w/ woven wire. Look for 2x2 or 2x4 woven wire fencing. You can then add hardware cloth on the areas where a raccoon might be able to reach through (bottom 2 feet of run, windows, etc.).

 

[VelvettFog]

Quote:
Paws -- you sure you don't have those two mixed up? Woven wire - often called chicken wire - can easily be pulled apart. It is also a much much finer gauge wire than most welded wires. 2x2 or 2x4 wire fencing, is almost always welded -- in fact, I cannot recall finding woven wire in 'squares' it is always hex shaped.

I would not use woven wire to do anything than to keep my birds in (or out) of something. Woven wire will not keep predators off your birds, well not ones with fur

Fog

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Woven wire - often called chicken wire - can easily be pulled apart. It is also a much much finer gauge wire than most welded wires. 2x2 or 2x4 wire fencing, is almost always welded -- in fact, I cannot recall finding woven wire in 'squares' it is always hex shaped

Pretty much everything you said is incorrect

http://www.kencove.com/fence/Woven+Wire_products.php

http://www.google.com/webhp?complet....,cf.osb&fp=eaa01c5641b8aa67&biw=1016&bih=522​