Which mesh wire?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
  • Start date Start date
A

Anonymous

Guest
I'm a bit confused as to which mesh wire is stronger/better. Most places selling coops say they have 19 guage however I have seen a few with 16 guage. I was under the impression that the 19 guage was better but someone else said otherwise.

Can someone enlighten me to the answer of this quite silly question? :oops:

Thanks

Donna. x
 
The lower the guage the thicker the wire used, for example 19 guage is 1mm thick, 16 guage is 1.6mm thick, 10 guage is 3mm thick.
A good internet site to buy mesh from is MeshDirect, have used this company a number of times, their service is very good and they are reasonably priced.
 
Yes the smaller the size the thicker the mesh - if you can afford it get really small holes to prevent rats getting in. Years ago when we first moved in here we had quite a few rats (aargh!) and I once saw a half grown rat squeeze ( as they have no rigid backbone) and feed itself through 1inch by 1 inch mesh! If Ihadn't seen it myself I would never have believed it. So smaller than that if you can afford it - it is expensive and not that easy to get hold of - an agricultural supplies prob the best bet.
 
I don't know if it'll work but I have a double layer of 1" mesh around the bottom of the run (reducing the size of the hole) in an attempt to keep vermin & foxes out. I thought it was worth a try.
 
Rats again,if their head can fit through,their body can.They can chew through concrete(unles when wet it is mixed with broken glass)and in a derelict house,can survive on candle wax and plaster.The best way to deter them is to keep everything spotless,clear up any un-eaten food etc,also clean houses out so no smells to attract them.Any wood that is getting thin,replace with thick wood.
Your idea is a good one Lucylou,what did you use to tie the layers of wire together,so they don't squeeze through one layer and through the next into the run.


Get the thickest wire guage you can,with the smallest holes is the best bet.
 
Unless the run us sealed on the top, they can run up and over the mesh too surprisingly quickly. They also dig under houses, runs etc within a short time.

Rats are bad news all round for poultry :x

Touch wood, I'm on top of them this year so far.
 
I sit my chicken and duck houses on concrete slabs and extend them so they are about a foot bigger than the houses themselves - rats often live underneath wooden structures. - for the run area I dig a 9inch footing, fill with concrete and put a row of bricks on it and then put the run on top of that - then they can't burrow underneath. All you can do is make it as inhospitable as possible - never leave food lying around.
 
Lydia said:
what did you use to tie the layers of wire together,so they don't squeeze through one layer and through the next into the run.
Click to expand...


Its secured onto the upright posts & there's a horizontal baton sandwiching it together, Its only about 12" up but in view of other people's expeienced I don't think it'll make much difference. But, you never know, might help.
 
Lucylou said:
Its secured onto the upright posts & there's a horizontal baton sandwiching it together, Its only about 12" up but in view of other people's expeienced I don't think it'll make much difference. But, you never know, might help.
Click to expand...

It'll be a case of wait and see,what you've done could work really well.Also,if you've never had a rat problem it might not get to be a bad problem.Cleaning up leftover food etc helps a lot.If you spot signs,droppings etc, a rat run,act quickly then so they don't get a hold and become a problem.
 
All of my houses (except a couple of duck houses) are raised off the floor by approx 15 inches so chooks can get underneath in the rain and rats have nowhere to go.

Slabs sould like a good idea - you can see rat holes quite easily.

Rats also have to be very close to water to drink regularly - so it's also a good idea to remove drinkers at night as well as feeders if you have a rat problem. The less inhabitable the place is for them, the better :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top