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As you prepare to build your new chicken coop, it's essential to make a shopping list of supplies.
While some may be entirely against using chicken wire and prefer hardware cloth, you'll find that chicken wire comes in handy for building an easy DIY chicken wireframe.
Hardware Cloth Versus Chicken Wire Fencing
Some might say that chicken wire is useless for protecting your chickens from coyotes and other predators. I do agree that hardware cloth is stronger than chicken wire. Using hardware cloth is still very crucial. While poultry netting (chicken wire) will keep your chickens from escaping, it won't exactly keep predators like hawks and foxes away.
I have to say that an automatic chicken door and snake-proofing your coop is the way to go. At the end of the day, you'll need some kind of poultry netting, so make sure you don't have any large holes or accessibility for predators.
Electric Fences to Protect Chickens
You can take things up a notch with an electric fence to protect chickens. Many homesteaders use solar panels to power their electric fences.
The Happy Chicken Coop writes, "They work by charging a large battery with solar panels and using that energy to power your fence all day and night!"
Zareba ESP5M-Z 5-Mile Solar Low Impedance Electric Fence Charger
Amazon's best-selling electric fence charger is under $200 and energizes up to five miles of electric fencing. It can operate for up to two weeks without sun, making it perfect for rainy weeks.
There's a built-in mounting bracket for T-posts, Y-posts, and round wood fence posts.
Chicken Netting Options
1. 1 in. x 4 ft. x 50 ft. Poultry Netting
Stop by your local lawn & garden store or head on over to homedepot.com for all of your poultry fence needs. Use store pickup at your local store, or take advantage of their free 2-day delivery.
You can find a variety of chicken wire, like this wire mesh. It's perfect for chickens and plenty of small animals. Many customer reviews explain how they use chicken wire to make garden fences. It creates a barrier for pest control and also keeps deer out of flowers.
Take a look at this helpful chart. It looks like 1-inch mesh, 20-gauge chicken wires may be the best option for your chicken wire fence.
The pricing of this bestseller is fantastic too!
2. 1 in. x 3 ft. x 50 ft. 20-Gauge Galvanized Poultry
From the same brand, this hexagon netting has different dimensions. Pay attention to size, as you'll want to keep the cutting process as simple as possible for building your chicken coop.
This 20-gauge wire has 1 in. hexagonal mesh weave protection.
3. 2 in x 4 ft. x 150 ft. Poultry Netting
For a lightweight chicken wire option, consider this one. Many customers say it was thin, but it did its job.
4. YARDGARD 308419B Fence, 150 feet, Color - Galvanized
You can always rely on Amazon to have a good deal on just about anything. Head on over to Amazon's Garden & Outdoor department and take a look at their chicken wire options. This package has 150 feet of zinc-coated steel wire for only $43.97.
5. 6 ft. x 150 ft. 20-Gauge Black PVC Coated Poultry Netting with 1 in. Mesh
Choose from three different dimensions of chicken wire from Fencer Wire.
Many poultry netting features may mention that they're heavy-duty, but it's still your responsibility to make sure you're doing everything to keep your chickens safe from predators.
Be sure to visit Home Depot for special offers on DIY project supplies.
This post was originally published on January 3, 2020.
READ MORE: Tick control: Chickens and guinea hens are the answer
