Chicken Wire

The following is a bit of a rant, so I'm sorry if I come off a little strongly!

But I really hate chicken wire. I have wasted so much money on hundreds of feet of the stuff, and I wish I could go back in time to tell myself to save my money.

The only wire worth using is rabbit wire. It's called welded hardware cloth in the store, and I get the quarter-inch holes whenever possible. Half-inch holes are OK, too.

The main problem with chicken wire is twofold:

First, it is very weak and flimsy. It can tear while you are trying to put it up. It can break when you attach anything to it, even if it's just more chicken wire. It is easily broken through by predators, or even just dogs.

Secondly, the holes are just too big. Mice, rats, and snakes saunter right through the openings in chicken wire. Then they eat your eggs and leave their mites and parasites behind in your coop. Baby chicks can get their heads caught in the openings, and trust me when I tell you that TERRIBLE THINGS happen to birds whose heads are stuck in chicken wire.

So if you are planning a chicken project, let me strongly encourage you to avoid chicken wire. Welded hardware cloth is what you want! It is stronger, will last longer, and will protect your flock so much better!

End of rant.