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[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

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.