What is the Best Fencing for Chickens?

If you’ve decided to keep chickens on your property, you need to keep them safe from predators. Regardless of where you live, predators are lurking. They can cause real damage to your brood, from a loose neighbor’s dog to foxes and from raccoons to hungry hawks. Therefore you need to create a safe chicken run fence Calgary chickens need to enjoy their lives without threats. Here we look at the best chicken fence Calgary offers in hand with tips to make your chicken run a lot more secure.

Wire Mesh Fence

Wire mesh comes in rolls allowing you to customize your chicken run fence Calgary installs for safety. You can pin it to your choice of poles using galvanized poultry fencing staples to create an attractive, temporary security fence panel for your chicken run. It can be combined with galvanized hardware cloth to discourage diggers from getting into the enclosure. You can use 1/2″ galvanized hardware cloth as it offers the ideal opening to keep rats and snakes away while reducing the risk for the smaller net to become brittle. Your hardware cloth should be buried about a foot down and then flare out another two feet to form a skirt. Both types of mesh are easy to work with and can be cut with wire snips.

They are also galvanized which means they are resistant to rust. You can also bend it into shape so you can get more creative if you choose to do something circular. This is an affordable option that is sturdy enough to help keep predators at bay. If you are concerned about overhead predators such as hawks, you can also use the mesh to create a protective roof. Don’t forget that if raccoons are common in your area, they are good little climbers, so the roof will discourage them as well.

Chicken Wire

This is often the go-to fencing material when people get their first brood of chickens. However, the name is misleading. It is a little too thin and prone to rust to make a dependable chicken run. Think of it as the less sturdy version of chain link with its similar hexagon weave. If budget is a concern, it can make a good temporary solution if you want to keep your chickens enclosed.

However, it really isn’t going to do much to keep out the local raccoons and other predators. If you have a daytime yard, this certainly offers a budget-friendly option, but you’ll still have to monitor the area to make sure your chickens are safe. If you’re looking for a temporary solution, you might be better off considering steel temporary fence rental Calgary as they are sturdier, look better, and are also quite affordable.

Chain Link

Chain link is super sturdy and readily available. However, where it fails as a chicken run fence Calgary brood raisers might consider is that the weave is too open. So while it keeps something like a dog, fox, or coyote out, it does little to discourage the greedy hands of a raccoon. Although the raccoon can’t pull the chicken through the fence, it can take hold and shake it which can prove fatal for a chicken. Chain link is also a lot more work to install, and very expensive.

Rabbit Wire Fencing

This type of wire fencing Calgary uses a heavier gauge with larger openings. However, it has the same challenges as chain links due to the larger weave. It is quite sturdy and does have a place in the chicken run design as it can be used much like hardware cloth to discourage digging. You can also go with a variety of rabbit wire that works well for daytime yards. It has narrow openings at one end and wider ones at the other, so you can install them with the narrower openings at the bottom. However, it might be hard to find this less common type of rabbit wire fencing.

Electric Net Fencing for Free Range Chickens

If you have free-range chickens, you are best off investing in electric net fencing. Although it costs more, when you consider the cost of installing a very large perimeter of fencing needed for a free-range run, you might just find the electric net fencing isn’t that much different in price. However, where it does become problematic is that it needs a portable power source. Not only does the mild electric shock keep your chickens close to the henhouse, but it also keeps predators out. Just keep in mind your chickens have no protection from above.

All things considered, your best bet tends to be a wire mesh fence and hardware cloth to keep your chickens safe.