# chicken wire



## grunt45 (Jan 24, 2012)

I have read a lot of different posts on PT that mention how bad chicken wire is. When I built my loft I followed PT advice and did not use chicken wire. However I was wondering what problems people have had with it. We have used it on the farm fow many years and never had a problem with animals breaking in or out of it.


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## vivagirl (Jun 24, 2008)

The problem is that some predaters can knaw through chicken wire. It's all right for interenal use but not for external use. Good Luck Danny Joe


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## Paragon Loft (Jun 27, 2009)

Predators And Mice That Can Get The Birds Sick.good Luck.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

vivagirl - did you get a PM or e-mail from someone looking for pheasant pigeons?


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## Doves1111 (Mar 5, 2005)

The person was looking for Exotic Pheasant Pigeons and Nicobar Pigeons to take pics of...

http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/SeedSpecies/PheasantPigeons.htm

http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/SeedSpecies/NicobarPigeon.htm


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

OMG! They are so cool! Very different from the birds I thought they were looking for. Thanks for educating me. By the way, I had added your website to my dove collection. You have a great looking set up. Do you aviary fly the birds in the winter? I see what looks like plastic wrap around it. Also, do you let your ringneck dove breeders all share a loft, or are they individually caged? I saw that there were many together, but are those young birds or breeding stock? And do you have any birds available?


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## Doves1111 (Mar 5, 2005)

I used to have the Pheasant Pigeons you were taking about...now I just have Ringneck and Diamond Doves...and a few Zebra Finches. My doves go out in the aviary/flight in the winter...they are very hardy as long as they have protection from the harsh elements of the weather. I cage breed all of my Ringneck Doves. I cage breed and colony breed my Diamond Doves. The doves that I am not using for breeding are in the loft and flight. I don't have any doves available yet...I just set up my breeding pairs.

Thank you for the nice complement on my birds...

Dawn


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

The thing to keep in mind, also...is that the term "chicken wire" can get misused...some folks refer to any wire mesh as "chicken wire"....


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Thanks for the info on your doves. I will check back later to see about your young ones.


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## orock (Mar 28, 2011)

I have heard that birds feathers get all messed up on chicken wire??


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## Farm Girl (Mar 17, 2012)

I agree, chicken wire is not good for anything but burying in the ground to prevent something from digging under your loft perimeter. I don't even use chicken wire on my chicken runs any more since loosing many beloved friends to stray dogs that form packs out here in the boonies. I like the small gauge hardwire cloth. It's very sturdy, and nothing has broke into my runs since.


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## ND Cooper (Mar 4, 2008)

I have Always used Chicken Wire in my small loft to keep my pigeons in.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with useing it.
Now, If You have a Mouse/Rat Problem, then, That's something that you NEED to take care of BEFORE you Keep Pigeons! ( Did you build in the Wrong Place?)
AS for the folks that think that their pigeons wings will become damaged do to their pigeons climbing the walls, so to speak, and scrapeing their wing tips, well, think about it..
Do You're Pigeons Need More Flying Space Inside the Loft?
Have you matched your Pigeons Up Properly? 
Do You Fly them Often Enough?
When you build a loft for Pigeons, ANY kind of pigeons, Allways have 12 Cubic Ft. of Flying space Inside the loft, PER PIGEON!!!!


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

I lost half my birds in my old loft because of chicken wire. Will NEVER use it again! Before I learned.......I was battling salmonella all the time (mice coming thru the chicken wire), and I lived on a pond, which is a favorite place for Norway rats  I only had chicken wire at the top where it connected to a shed. Norway rats chewed thru the wire and loosened the staples in one night. Killed and mutilated about 30 of my birds.
Chicken wire is NOT SAFE!
It is impossible to eliminate all rats and mice, therefore, you need to secure your birds for their safety.


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## ND Cooper (Mar 4, 2008)

Chichen Wire IS SAFE!
It just Depends on where your loft is situated, and what circumstances Your Pigeons are being KEPT!
Inattentiveness is NOT an Excuse!!! When keeping Pigeons!


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

ND Cooper said:


> Chichen Wire IS SAFE!
> It just Depends on where your loft is situated, and what circumstances Your Pigeons are being KEPT!
> *Inattentiveness is NOT an Excuse*!!! For keeping Pigeons!


Chicken wire is NOT safe.
And please explain.


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## ND Cooper (Mar 4, 2008)

What's to explain?


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

ND Cooper said:


> What's to explain?


What do you mean by 'inattentiveness'?


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## ND Cooper (Mar 4, 2008)

Let's Simplify, 1 Caged Pigeon NEEDS 12 cubic feet of Flying Space. This is INSIDE of the Loft.
Any less is overcrouding (sp) the Pigeons.
If you fly your pigeons, let's say twice a day, and they are Still being kept INSIDE a LOFT, they Still need 12 cubic feet of flying space INSIDE the LOFT!
Now Many seem to think that they can get away with cutting corners, and their pigeons survive, but is it right?
To reply, Who Lost the Pigeons?
I Havent lost any, ever.
Buy the way, It is NOT impossable to control a rat/mouse problem.
Everyone's circumstances are different, I understand that!
But Don't tell me, that under MY circumstances I Shouldent, or Cant use Chicken Wire!


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## drifter (Oct 7, 2009)

Twelve cubic feet per bird? How did you come up with those stats. Most people agree that two square feet per bird is adequate.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

ND Cooper said:


> Let's Simplify, 1 Caged Pigeon NEEDS 12 cubic feet of Flying Space. This is INSIDE of the Loft.
> Any less is overcrouding (sp) the Pigeons.
> If you fly your pigeons, let's say twice a day, and they are Still being kept INSIDE a LOFT, they Still need 12 cubic feet of flying space INSIDE the LOFT!
> Now Many seem to think that they can get away with cutting corners, and their pigeons survive, but is right?
> ...


Yes, everyones situation is different, If you want to use chicken wire & are happy with it then suit yourself, but it is fool hardy and downright idiotic to advise that it is OK for anyone to use. Those that ask advice & dont know any better may well follow your advice & lose all their birds. They should be made aware of the dangers but you are virtually saying there is none but do not know their cirumstances. 

Incidently, when chicken wire is exposed to the elements of air & water, it becomes weak & more pliable, hence it loses strength as time goes on.
It also decays very quickly when "buried" in soil as this speeds up the process.


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## grunt45 (Jan 24, 2012)

It seems like a lot of people have had rats or other animals get through chicken wire. Now are they peeling the wire off the wood by pulling the staples or actually getting through the wire itself? I don't think I will be keeping any pets in chicken wire anymore.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Quazar said:


> Yes, everyones situation is different, If you want to use chicken wire & are happy with it then suit yourself, but it is fool hardy and downright idiotic to advise that it is OK for anyone to use. Those that ask advice & dont know any better may well follow your advice & lose all their birds. They should be made aware of the dangers but you are virtually saying there is none but do not know their cirumstances.
> 
> Incidently, when chicken wire is exposed to the elements of air & water, it becomes weak & more pliable, hence it loses strength as time goes on.
> It also decays very quickly when "buried" in soil as this speeds up the process.




THIS!!!!!! Everyone should be made aware of the dangers of using chicken wire.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

grunt45 said:


> It seems like a lot of people have had rats or other animals get through chicken wire. Now are they peeling the wire off the wood by pulling the staples or actually getting through the wire itself? I don't think I will be keeping any pets in chicken wire anymore.


In my case at the time, my old loft was connected to a shed that housed an old dug well that was sealed off. I had chicken on the top 'inside' to keep the birds from going into the shed section where I stored my tools. These Norway Rats were as big as guinea pigs......they can get quite big! They came in thru the well, chewed the sheetrock, got inside the shed, then worked at the chicken wire.....all in 1 night. At the time, there was 4 feet of snow around the shed, we had just had one of the worst ice storms, and I had lost power for 11 days. I always keep lights on around the loft to check on the birds. But 11 days with no electricity and deep snow gave the rats plenty of darkness and hiding places to do their damage 
Not to mention, mice can walk right thru chicken wire, which their droppings carry salmonella. And as Quazar says, it deteriorates very quickly when exposed to the elements.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

When I started with pigeons back in the early 60's, I used chicken wire for 5 years without losing a bird. Never had a problem. Hurray!!! When I built my new loft in the early 80's and used it again I had several aniimal related break ins that took about half my flock. Slow learner.

After I switched over to heavier duty wire mesh, I never had a problem again. So it really is about when the wire will break down, rather than if it will break down. One of the problems is, like everything else, the wire is being made not quite as strong as it was so many years ago.

I sincerely hope you never experience a problem, but be aware, that the odds are stacked against you. Good luck!!!


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

almondman said:


> When I started with pigeons back in the early 60's, I used chicken wire for 5 years without losing a bird. Never had a problem. Hurray!!! When I built my new loft in the early 80's and used it again I had several aniimal related break ins that took about half my flock. Slow learner.
> 
> After I switched over to heavier duty wire mesh, I never had a problem again. So it really is about when the wire will break down, rather than if it will break down. *One of the problems is, like everything else, the wire is being made not quite as strong as it was so many years ago.*
> 
> I sincerely hope you never experience a problem, but be aware, that the odds are stacked against you. Good luck!!!


Your absolutely right...............and neither is kleenex!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

ND Cooper said:


> Let's Simplify, 1 Caged Pigeon NEEDS 12 cubic feet of Flying Space. This is INSIDE of the Loft.
> Any less is overcrouding (sp) the Pigeons.
> If you fly your pigeons, let's say twice a day, and they are Still being kept INSIDE a LOFT, they Still need 12 cubic feet of flying space INSIDE the LOFT!
> Now Many seem to think that they can get away with cutting corners, and their pigeons survive, but is right?
> ...


*
*



It is not possible to completely control a mouse or rat problem. You get rid of them, and they come back. A lot depends on where you live. But they are every where, and some places worse than others. It only takes one rat to get in and kill birds in one night. And it only takes one mouse to climb through and spread salmonella to your birds.

No one is telling you that you can't use chicken wire. You can do what ever you like with your birds. We are trying to inform people who care enough about their birds to ask. There are people out there who have learned the hard way, and there are people who put the safety of their birds first. I don't understand why someone would take the chance of something happening, just to save a few bucks. If you have never had problems then I would say you have been very lucky, but you can't really count on that luck. So if someone wants to take the extra measure to insure their birds safety, they will go with hardware cloth. It's too late to fix once something does happen. Better to insure that it doesn't. If you choose not to buy that insurance, that is up to you.......................and if something does get in, then that is ON you.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Msfreebird said:


> Your absolutely right...............and neither is kleenex!


Kinda leaves a bad picture in your mind!


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

That is true that chicken wire does become more brittle over time.....this is one of those situations where, in an instance where someone reports that something works for them while others report that it doesn't...everyone is being quite honest, I am sure.

But in such a case, I always say you play to the worst case of the two.....

Regarding the cu. ft. per bird number....yeah...there are some #'s which are quoted quite often....2, 4- usually given in square feet. And I agree with you. Not to ruffle anyone's feathers, but IMHO....those #'s are really inadequate to use as a loft size computation space. I mean, speaking quality of life here. 

2 cu. ft. = 1'x1'x2'. 2 sq. ft of area = 1'x2'.

The 2 cu.ft./bird gives an enclosure of 2x2x2 as safe/good for 4 Pigeons....if I did my math correctly. 
The 2 sq.ft./bird gives a floor area of 2x2 as good for 2 pigeons...and 2x4 floor area as good for 4 pigeons.
The footprint of your average bathtub is 12.5 sq. ft.; which would be OK for 6 pigeons.....do you think 6 Pigeons in your bath enclosure is ample ????

....do these examples seem adequate ? 

Unless it is all a misnomer, and what people mean is _one 2' cube per bird_......or "2 ft cubed" per bird"...(???) 

~ 2 ft. cubed and 2 cu. ft. are not the same volume.....

While it depends on how often they are in and how often out (if you plan on letting them out), I would not use a number less than 9-10 cu.ft./bird.
10 cu.ft per bird gives an enclosure of 2x2x2.5.
That would give a pair of Pigeons a space of around 3x2.5x2.5 minimum.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

almondman said:


> Kinda leaves a bad picture in your mind!


LOL....Just thought I'd throw in a little humor.......I have allergies


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

I'm impressed. As bad as allergy season is supposed to be this year, you're doing well to see anything humorous at all. Especially since the season seems to have already started.


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## ND Cooper (Mar 4, 2008)

12 Cubic feet of Air Space = 4'x4'x8' +, For 6 Pigeons.
Chicken wire is OK to use for houseing Pigeons that are allowed more than enough room (Space), (more than 12 cubic feet of AIR Space) Provideing YOUR LOFT IS IN A SECURE (SAFE) LOCATION. 
Pigeons like to jump up and flap their wings, that can hardly happen in the space of a bathtub! Especally with 6 Pigeons. You're Bathtub would have to be 4' plus Tall!
The Bottom line is: The more Flying Space Inside the Loft, The Better!
The More Room, The Better! Correct?
Again, Everyones Situation Is Different. That's ON YOU!

The Last thing that I would Believe is, You Can't solve a Rat/Mouse Problem.
Now that IS Ignorant!
If My Pigeons Ever had a Mouse/Rat problem It would be taken care of Right AWAY!
Even if I had to MOVE my Pigeons! That is what was ment by Inattentiveness!


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## Revolution Lofts (Aug 7, 2008)

I've been using a natural deterrent for the mouse/rat problems. It's called "the neighbors cats". There's 2 of them and I swear they're in my backyard every time I look outside. It's like 24 hour security patrol out there. They leave me dead rat once in a while, but picking them up is a lot easier than picking a dead bird up, emotionally at the least.

As far as chicken wire goes, I don't support it too much. I am making an aviary right now, and it's with half inch chicken wire instead of the typical 1 inch one so it is a bit stronger. On another note, this aviary is only for day time use and the door to the loft will be shut at 6 or 7 PM.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

ND Cooper said:


> 12 Cubic feet of Air Space = 4'x4'x8' +, For 6 Pigeons.
> Chicken wire is OK to use for houseing Pigeons that are allowed more than enough room (Space), (more than 12 cubic feet of AIR Space) Provideing YOUR LOFT IS IN A SECURE (SAFE) LOCATION.
> Pigeons like to jump up and flap their wings, that can hardly happen in the space of a bathtub! Especally with 6 Pigeons. You're Bathtub would have to be 4' plus Tall!
> The Bottom line is: The more Flying Space Inside the Loft, The Better!
> ...


Well you SHOULD believe it! I don't know about North Dakota, but here on the Seacoast we have rats and mice....and big rats they are! The closer one lives to the water, whether it be the ocean, river or ponds, the bigger and more numerous they are 
'My pigeons' don't have a rat/mice problem now because I am over attentive, and don't use chicken wire anymore! But that's not to say that they still don't try to get inside the loft. It's a daily battle to keep them out  I've had to completely wrap my flight cages with 1/4 and 1/2 inch hardware mesh, the complete floor also, to keep them out. They (the rats) STILL tunnel underneath. I keep bags of 'quikcrete' concrete, and weekly brush the sand on the flightcage floors back looking for tunnels.........I pour some quikcrete on the wire mesh to fill the tunnels, wet it and cover it back over with sand. My next flight cage that I build for my doves will have a concrete pad put down 1st, wire mesh OVER that, then sand. My birds cost me a fortune to keep safe, but their well worth every penny. There is no way I could eliminate all the rats and mice in New England......that's realistic, not ignorant


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Msfreebird said:


> .........My next flight cage that I build for my doves will have a concrete pad put down 1st, wire mesh OVER that, then sand...............


Actually, that is a good place to use CHICKEN WIRE.
Before poring the concrete, put a layer of chicken wire down, pour half your concrete over it, then another layer of CHICKEN WIRE & pour the rest of the concrete. (You could also add a final layer of CHICKEN WIRE on the surface while the concrete is still wet)
This is effectively reinforced concrete, will help stop it cracking, but if it were to crack, would hold it together so nothing could come through spaces.


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

I don't believe you can really ever solve a rat or mice problem completely .......There isn't one person I have spoken to that keeps birds of some description that has conquered the problem . I think you can make attempts to contol it to a certain extent , but that about it .
I've never used chicken wire and I don't even use it to house my chickens .....just too many things can get thru it it in my opinion.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

just for the simple fact that SNAKESand MICE can get in through the chicken wire is enough reason NOT TO USE IT! the other bad things about it are just even more reasons.. the only thing it is good for is growing beans on it.
And as far as the donkey crap about "Inattentiveness", Im not staying up all night with a flashlight to keep snakes and mice out of my loft/coop because I just so HAVE to use chicken wire.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

ND Cooper said:


> 12 Cubic feet of Air Space = 4'x4'x8' +, For 6 Pigeons.
> Chicken wire is OK to use for houseing Pigeons that are allowed more than enough room (Space), (more than 12 cubic feet of AIR Space) Provideing YOUR LOFT IS IN A SECURE (SAFE) LOCATION.
> Pigeons like to jump up and flap their wings, that can hardly happen in the space of a bathtub! Especally with 6 Pigeons. You're Bathtub would have to be 4' plus Tall!
> The Bottom line is: The more Flying Space Inside the Loft, The Better!


Regarding your area comments....I agree completely. And you see, a 4x4x8 space seems almost half-decent, as a minimum, for 6 Pigeons.

...._*But it is the nomenclature being used.*_ 

You say *12 cu. ft airspace = 4x4x8*. 

But 4'x4'x8' = 16'x8', or 32'x4' = 128 cu. ft. of volume (LxWxH = cu. ft). 

So where is the 12 cu. ft. of airspace ? And how do you get that from 4x4x8 ? Isn't 12 cu. ft. airspace = 2'x2'x3' ????

Not being a wiseguy...I am seriously trying to understand. 

Because, in my understanding of area and volume....4'x4'x8' enclosure, for 6 Pigeons.... gives each Pigeon 21 cu. ft. of space.

Therefore, rather than saying "you need 2 cu. ft. or 4 cu. ft. per Pigeon", or whatever...it is really much closer to 20 cu. ft. per Pigeon.

Or am I failing to understand something ????


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

grunt45 said:


> I have read a lot of different posts on PT that mention how bad chicken wire is. When I built my loft I followed PT advice and did not use chicken wire. However I was wondering what problems people have had with it. We have used it on the farm fow many years and never had a problem with animals breaking in or out of it.


hope the posts that are actually about chicken wire helps you decide..good luck with your project!


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## Neil T (Mar 18, 2012)

Interesting talk here, my experience is that if you have old time chicken wire it is much thicker and cannot be chewed through or ripped apart as easily by critters as the chicken wire sold now days. However, for the outside of my pigeon coops I use 1/2 inch square wire which is about 20 gauge wire that works good because small critters like mice cannot crawl through it and large critters cannot rip it apart easily because they cannot get their claws in it very far because it is so small compared to chicken wire.

Another nice thing about the 1/2 inch square wire is that you can hang it using a portable drill using sell taping screws with a large head (screws are similar to pole barn screws but have a larger head). Using the screws allows you to get the wire hung tighter and wire can be easily removed later if you choose to.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

BTW...I am not sure it is inattentiveness if you once never had a problem by doing things a certain way, and then a problem began which you needed to address...

It is always optimal, of course, to plan ahead....but no human being can cover all of the bases...and hindsight can be a painful 20-20, as I am sure we have all experienced....


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Now. Can I ask a question ?....*is 3/4" spaced wire bad ?* I was looking at some yesterday and it seemed like it'd do a good job.

Is it that something can get thru that ? or is it that a Pigeon can get his/her heard stuck in it (which I couldn't really tell) ????


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## Neil T (Mar 18, 2012)

Mice can get through 3/4" wire and if the wire is not heavy enough then it is easier for larger critters to rip apart. Mice are bad because if they excrete their droppings on your feed and the pigeons eat it then your pigeons may get Salmonila Poisoning/Paratyphoid. If you live in the city the 3/4 inch wire may workout well; mice may not be as big of a problem as for someone living in the country where mice and rats are everywhere. Hope this helps.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Neil T said:


> Mice can get through 3/4" wire and if the wire is not heavy enough then it is easier for larger critters to rip apart. Mice are bad because if they excrete their droppings on your feed and the pigeons eat it then your pigeons may get Salmonila Poisoning/Paratyphoid. *If you live in the city the 3/4 inch wire may workout well; mice may not be as big of a problem as for someone living in the country where mice and rats are everywhere. Hope this helps.*


*
*


Believe me, they are in the city, sometimes worse. And anyone who thinks they can eradicate them and keep them gone is nuts! You may get rid of the ones you have, but more will come. Just the way it is.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Neil T said:


> Mice can get through 3/4" wire and if the wire is not heavy enough then it is easier for larger critters to rip apart. Mice are bad because if they excrete their droppings on your feed and the pigeons eat it then your pigeons may get Salmonila Poisoning/Paratyphoid. If you live in the city the 3/4 inch wire may workout well; mice may not be as big of a problem as for someone living in the country where mice and rats are everywhere. Hope this helps.


Thanks for the reply...wow...that seems odd to me that a mouse can actually fit thru a 3/4" aperture....but I guess as folks commonly suggest 1/2"...I won't argue.


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## honeyrobber (Apr 28, 2011)

If you read my thread on One Less Hawk, you would see that even the bigger welded wire 1/2 inch X 1 inch was not able to save my pigeon. Even using the recomended 1/4 inch hardware cloth is not even a choice for me. I live in the country and have wild animals to deal with. I can not find a strong enough wire that has small enough holes. I have not made up my mind wether I am going to use 2 layers of what I have been using and double it up with the spacing half set or use 1/4 inch hardware and what I have been using. CHICKEN WIRE has NO place on my farm.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

honeyrobber said:


> If you read my thread on One Less Hawk, you would see that even the bigger welded wire 1/2 inch X 1 inch was not able to save my pigeon. Even using the recomended 1/4 inch hardware cloth is not even a choice for me. I live in the country and have wild animals to deal with. I can not find a strong enough wire that has small enough holes. I have not made up my mind wether I am going to use 2 layers of what I have been using and double it up with the spacing half set or use 1/4 inch hardware and what I have been using. CHICKEN WIRE has NO place on my farm.



I had missed your post, but just went and read it. wow! That was awful. You can maybe get the 1/2 inch hardware cloth heavier than the 1/4 inch. But using what you have been and doubling it up sounds good.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Jaye said:


> Thanks for the reply...wow...that seems odd to me that a mouse can actually fit thru a 3/4" aperture....but I guess as folks commonly suggest 1/2"...I won't argue.


The Thing youve got to remember is that although its only a 3/4 x 3/4 square,
the diagonal is 1.41 times the width, which makes it just over an inch wide.
Mice (and rats) are like cats, if their head can go through then they will get their body through.

A half inch square has just under 3/4" diagonal


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

honeyrobber said:


> If you read my thread on One Less Hawk, you would see that even the bigger welded wire 1/2 inch X 1 inch was not able to save my pigeon. Even using the recomended 1/4 inch hardware cloth is not even a choice for me. I live in the country and have wild animals to deal with. I can not find a strong enough wire that has small enough holes. I have not made up my mind wether I am going to use 2 layers of what I have been using and double it up with the spacing half set or use 1/4 inch hardware and what I have been using. CHICKEN WIRE has NO place on my farm.


I used both 1/2 and 1/4 inch, but noticed that the 1/4 inch is not as heavy a gauge. So I used the 1/4 inch on the top of the flight cages, with roofing panels over it just for added security.


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## Neil T (Mar 18, 2012)

Honeyrobber, I also live on a farm and was skeptical at first using 1/2" x 1/2" 20 gauge wire but it has worked out well for about 10 years now. On all flypens or sunning areas I have either cement or wood floors. A person in our club who lives in the city had the same problem with animals reaching through the wire eating part of his pigeons. In his case they were reaching up from the ground into the wire on the bottom of his outside fly area. His wire was larger than 1/2" x 1/2". Another person in our club who lives on a farm had a racoon rip and separate his 3/8" aluminum dolls that he had on an outside area of his coop. I guess if you have a large hungry animal that needs to feed their babies it is hard to stop them.


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## grunt45 (Jan 24, 2012)

Thanks for all of the information on a wide variety of wire. It really seems like there are a lot more problems associated with a poor choice than one could imagine.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Problem with 1/4" in a stronger guage would be much more expensive and much harder to work with.
Dont know what the difference in cost would work out at, but you could use two layers of 3/4" medium guage, and stagger the position of them so it gives you 3/8" spacing, may ease cost, but not compromise security or strength.


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## honeyrobber (Apr 28, 2011)

The wire we have been using for the last several years is a welded wire that ccome in 4 and 6 foot heights and 50 or 100 feet rolls. It more of dog pen type wire. Some of the bantam chicken pens still have the 1/4 hardware under this wire. first time we had a problem with this wire since we started using it. First the snake a few weeks ago then the hawk. Just like lock have improved over time and evolved to keep thieves out I have been evolving to keep *****, possums, snakes, dogs and more away from my livestock.


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## Vova (Mar 27, 2012)

My aviary is made of chicken wire.. never had a problem with it.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Vova said:


> My aviary is made of chicken wire.. never had a problem with it.


Well congratulations.

Theres a couple of proverbs come to mind, - 
Dont count your chickens before theyve hatched.
&
Better safe than sorry


oh & another

You can lead a horse to water but you cat make him drink


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## Vova (Mar 27, 2012)

Quazar said:


> Well congratulations.
> 
> Theres a couple of proverbs come to mind, -
> Dont count your chickens before theyve hatched.
> ...


thnx ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿ ********﻿


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## zgrywusek (Nov 21, 2011)

can you guys post few links of a good wire net? I want to build a nice outside space for my birds and i cannot find anything good.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Hardware cloth. You would want at least 19 gauge. 23 is too light of a wire.

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1290448&cp=2568443.2568451.2624969.1302712


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Vova said:


> My aviary is made of chicken wire.. never had a problem with it.


many more have. so it would be remiss if they were not warned.. just not making this info up.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Vova said:


> My aviary is made of chicken wire.. never had a problem with it.


You have been very lucky, but your luck could change. Why take the chance?


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## zgrywusek (Nov 21, 2011)

I assume this is metal correct?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

zgrywusek said:


> I assume this is metal correct?


Yes, galvanized metal.


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## Pollo70 (Jan 3, 2012)

Many fanciers back when I started all we had was chicken wire we didn't have to many choices to pick from. no Lowes or Home depot back in the 80's I have always used chicken wire. knock on wood I never had any problem's I guess it all comes down to where u live and what critters you have in your area.I have racoons, foxes, field mice, and have seen rats near the canel 50 yrds from where my loft is located. and thank god I have never had any problems. my aviary is all chicken wire my birds only have access to it in the day I close it at night. and a portion of the front of my loft is wired with chicken wire so far no problems .


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## snowpetals (Mar 29, 2012)

I'm surprised no one has mentioned weasels....they can EASILY get through chicken wire...and they can kill animals as large as rabbits. they're excellent climbers as well, they can easily get rid of half your flock for you while you're sleeping. just thought I'd throw that out there.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

snowpetals said:


> I'm surprised no one has mentioned weasels....they can EASILY get through chicken wire...and they can kill animals as large as rabbits. they're excellent climbers as well, they can easily get rid of half your flock for you while you're sleeping. just thought I'd throw that out there.



You're right, and a very good point!


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