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homestead - Re: [Homestead] Raccoon Tales... how smart was yours?

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  • From: Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Raccoon Tales... how smart was yours?
  • Date: Wed, 21 May 2008 17:49:14 -0500


On May 21, 2008, at 2:38 PM, Warren wrote:

That tragedy is one of the reasons why I no longer use poultry mesh in
a security condition. Use dog pen wire. It's strong and it lasts.

Galvanized "hardware cloth" is strong enough to resist coons, too, with the
added plus of only having 1/2" holes. Chicks stay in coons stay out.

Small holes are good. You have reminded me of another coon experience. I was trying out the chicken tractor design. Built a frame and enclosed it with one-inch poultry mesh, leaving the bottom open. One night I heard that goddawful I'm-getting-killed-sound that wakes you up fast even from a dead sleep. Grabbed the pistol and flashlight and ran out. A coon had hold of a pullet leg and was doing its darndest to pull the pullet through the poultry mesh. Coons die hard. Took two bullets. The pullet survived but of course had a deformed and gimpy leg all her life. The birds had a covered nesting place but I think the coon ran around and got them so excited that they fluttered about-- as chickens will do--until he was able to reach in and grab one. Hardware cloth would have been the thing to have on that cage. The dog pen wire I have around the present run has holes that are--ah, now going out to measure--well, the wires are on one-inch by two-inch centers, so the holes are slightly less than that.

One of the reasons I tore out the original chicken moat is because the poultry mesh became rusted and rotten. This dog pen wire is much heavier material and is lasting a long time, although I have not had occasion to see how it is doing where I have it buried. It is five feet high. I suspect hardware cloth in that width, if it is available, would be much more expensive.





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