Hardware cloth vs chicken wire: what to put on coop and run walls
Use 1/2 inch hardware cloth (or 1/4 inch where weasels, rats or snakes are a threat) on coop openings, run walls and buried aprons. Extension services say chicken wire only keeps chickens in: predators tear it and rats bite through it.
Chicken wire keeps chickens in. Hardware cloth keeps most predators out. That one line from Utah State University Extension sums up the choice, but each wire still has a place around a coop.
What each one is
Chicken wire (also sold as poultry netting or hex netting) is woven from thin galvanized wire twisted into hexagons. UGA Extension lists it in 18 to 22 gauge with 1 or 2 inch openings, in 24, 36 and 48 inch heights.
Hardware cloth is welded wire in a small square grid. Utah State recommends 1/4 to 1/2 inch openings for coops. The rolls we compare are 19 gauge (1/2 inch mesh) and 23 gauge (1/4 inch mesh). With gauge, a lower number means thicker wire.
| Chicken wire | Hardware cloth | |
|---|---|---|
| Build | Woven, twisted hexagons | Welded square grid |
| Typical openings | 1 or 2 inch hex | 1/4 or 1/2 inch square |
| Typical gauge | 18 to 22 | 19 (1/2 inch), 23 (1/4 inch) in our catalog |
| Raccoons reaching through | Openings are not under 1 inch | Openings well under 1 inch |
| Rats and weasels | Rats bite through it, small rodents squeeze through | 1/4 inch stops the smallest weasels |
| Listed price per sq ft | About $0.25 | About $0.40 to $0.90 |
| Best use | Keeping birds in, garden fences, run covers | Coop windows, vents, run walls, buried aprons |
What gets through which
Utah State is blunt: most predators can tear through chicken wire, rats can bite through the thin wire, and smaller rodents squeeze through the holes. Its advice is to use chicken wire only to keep chickens in, never to keep predators out.
Raccoons are the other problem. Maryland Extension says they reach through loose mesh and pull off a bird's head or legs. UNH and Oklahoma State both say wire openings should be smaller than 1 inch. Standard 1 inch chicken wire does not meet that.
Small hunters need smaller holes. The University of Kentucky notes the least weasel can squeeze through a 1/4 inch hole, and that snakes are stopped only by gaps 1/4 inch or smaller. UNH says to seal small holes that let weasels or rats in.
Which mesh size
We did not find one national number. Utah State gives a range of 1/4 to 1/2 inch. UNH and Oklahoma State say "smaller than 1 inch." Colorado State says you will lose fewer birds with 1 by 2 inch welded wire or smaller than with cheaper 2 by 3 inch. A 1/2 inch hardware cloth meets all of these for raccoons. Go to 1/4 inch where weasels, rats or snakes are the worry.
Cost and working with it
Chicken wire is the cheaper roll. The YARDGARD 1 inch poultry netting (20 gauge, 150 ft by 48 in) lists at about $0.25 per square foot. Hardware cloth costs more: the YARDGARD 1/2 inch hardware cloth (19 gauge, 25 ft by 4 ft) is about $0.63, the smaller Agway 1/2 inch roll (19 gauge, 10 ft by 36 in) about $0.90, and the Fencer Wire 1/4 inch roll (23 gauge, 100 ft by 3 ft) about $0.40. UGA describes hex netting as pliable and easy to handle, which is why people reach for it.
One way to save: use hardware cloth for the walls of a run and the coop openings, and chicken wire or netting for the roof, which only has to stop hawks. Colorado State lists chicken wire as one option for covering a run.
Where chicken wire is still fine
- Fencing birds into a yard by day.
- Run covers against hawks and owls.
- Garden fences. Iowa State and UGA both suggest chicken wire to keep rabbits out of vegetables, and UGA recommends 1 inch hex mesh, 2 feet high.
It should not be the only barrier around birds at night.
Burying and aprons
Diggers like foxes, coyotes and rats go under walls. Kentucky advises hardware cloth buried at least 12 inches. Sources differ on the exact shape: Maryland says bury 1 foot then bend it outward 8 to 10 inches, UF/IFAS says 12 to 18 inches in an L shape, and a UF/IFAS county office says welded wire bent outward up to 2 feet. Kentucky and Maryland both name hardware cloth for the buried part. The full layout is in our guide to protecting chickens from predators.
Which to use where
- Coop windows and vents: 1/2 inch hardware cloth, or 1/4 inch where weasels or snakes are around.
- Run walls: 1/2 inch hardware cloth.
- Buried apron: hardware cloth.
- Run roof: chicken wire or netting is acceptable against birds of prey.
- Daytime yard or garden fence: chicken wire.
Shopping for a ready-made coop? See coops built with hardware cloth. For rolls and electric netting, see fencing and netting.
Sources
- Utah State University Extension: rodents and backyard chickens (chicken wire keeps chickens in only, predators tear it, rats bite through, 1/4 to 1/2 inch hardware cloth, aprons)
- UGA Extension: garden fencing (hex netting is woven galvanized wire, 18 to 22 gauge, 1 or 2 inch openings, heights, pliable, gauge meaning, rabbit fence)
- UF/IFAS Extension Hardee County: predators and backyard poultry (hardware cloth is welded wire, bury welded wire outward up to 2 feet)
- UNH Extension: protecting chickens from predators (openings smaller than 1 inch, sealing holes against weasels and rats)
- Oklahoma State University Extension: protecting small poultry flocks (hardware cloth openings smaller than 1 inch, raccoons grabbing through fences)
- University of Maryland Extension: prevention of predation (raccoons pull heads and legs through loose mesh)
- University of Maryland Extension: identifying and preventing poultry predators (bury 1 foot and bend outward 8 to 10 inches)
- University of Kentucky: predator management for small poultry flocks (least weasel and 1/4 inch holes, snakes, bury hardware cloth 12 inches)
- UF/IFAS: raising backyard chickens for eggs (hardware cloth tighter than chicken wire, 12 to 18 inch L-shaped burial)
- Colorado State University Extension: chickens and predators (1 by 2 inch or smaller welded wire, chicken wire as a run cover)
- Iowa State University Extension: rabbits in the vegetable garden (chicken wire for garden fences)
Questions people ask
Is chicken wire strong enough to keep raccoons out?
No. Utah State University Extension says most predators can tear through chicken wire and it should only be used to keep chickens in. Raccoons also reach through openings, and UNH Extension advises openings smaller than 1 inch.
What size hardware cloth should I use for a chicken coop?
Utah State University Extension recommends 1/4 to 1/2 inch hardware cloth. The University of Kentucky notes the least weasel can squeeze through a 1/4 inch hole, so use 1/4 inch where weasels are a concern.
How deep should I bury hardware cloth around a run?
At least 12 inches, per the University of Kentucky. University of Maryland Extension adds an 8 to 10 inch outward bend at the bottom, and UF/IFAS suggests 12 to 18 inches in an L shape.