Chicken Wire vs. Hardware Wire Mesh

[ZigZagMarquis]

Et All,

I've been designing a Pigeon loft/coop and have been thinking of using 1/2" Hardware Wire Mesh on the walls instead of regular ol' chicken wire. My thinking was I wouldn't want to use chicken wire on the walls and come home and find a bird with a leg "hung" in it, but I see a lot of pictures of lofts on this and other pigeon sites where its pretty much chicken wire on the walls. What do you'all think? Is Chicken wire okay and 1/2" mesh is just over-kill?

I'd definitly use 1/2" mesh on anything the birds would walk on.

Thanks.

[Lin Hansen]

Hi ZigZag,

I do not keep pigeons, just feed a feral flock everyday. I just know through reading the posts for a few months, that "hardware cloth" (which sounds like the 1/2" hardware wire mesh you were talking about) is always recommended over chicken wire.

The reason is because chicken wire is too flimsy to protect against predators such as racoons, who can tear through chicken wire easily to get to the pigeons.

I'm sure others with more experience will be along shortly to advise you.

Good luck,
Linda

[KIPPY]

I used hardware cloth. My opinion hardware cloth is more secure. I put chicken wire on the top of the cage to keep the feral pigeons from hanging out and it's working.

[birdy]

Zig,

Use hardware cloth. Kippy and Lin give good reasons. Chicken wire will let snakes in as well as sparrows and other small birds - your pigeons will be at the risk of catching avian diseases or parasites. Chicken wire if not fastened properly can be pulled off by a large raccoon. It happened to me and is a sight you do not want to see. One last reason, it really messes up their feathers b/c it allows most of the feather, like a tail feather, to poke through but will rub it to bits.

Another good wire is 1" x 1/2" welded wire. You can get it at most farm & ag suppliers. I like to use it for flooring in my aviaries - the poop goes thru a lot easier than 1/2 x 1/2. A very good tool to fasten all the wire is a pneumatic stapler gun. Another is an electric pair of wire cutters.

[ZigZagMarquis]

Originally Posted by birdy

Zig,

Use hardware cloth. Kippy and Lin give good reasons. Chicken wire will let snakes in as well as sparrows and other small birds - your pigeons will be at the risk of catching avian diseases or parasites. Chicken wire if not fastened properly can be pulled off by a large raccoon. It happened to me and is a sight you do not want to see. One last reason, it really messes up their feathers b/c it allows most of the feather, like a tail feather, to poke through but will rub it to bits.

Another good wire is 1" x 1/2" welded wire. You can get it at most farm & ag suppliers. I like to use it for flooring in my aviaries - the poop goes thru a lot easier than 1/2 x 1/2. A very good tool to fasten all the wire is a pneumatic stapler gun. Another is an electric pair of wire cutters.

Birdy, Et All,

Thanks. I had pretty much figured on going with the Hardware Cloth instead of Chicken Wire... the difference in priece isn't that bad. Also, I only need about 128sq ft of it... so only one 4'x25' roll and another 4'x?' roll.

The loft I am considering building would involve walling off part of my patio... thus... provide a concrete floor. It would create a space about 16'x4.5'x7.5'... and thats without builiding an "extension" out into the "yard" for a landing board & trap, which I'm also considering... and I'm thinking on just starting out with 3 or 4 birds. For cleaning purposes, I was figuring on leaving a "gap" at the bottom of the open frame / wire mesh wall I'd build by about an inch or two for easier sweeping and hosing out... does that make sense? I'm not thinking Raccoons are much of a problem where I'm at... I'm out in the Mojave Desert, Indian Wells Valley... but snakes might me a concern. I'll have to think on that part.

Aside, if I end up not being able to fly the birds... would a 16'x4.5'x7.5' space be okay for say 4 to 8 birds in the end? I don't want to get anywhere near overcrowding... mostly for the "mess" reasons it would bring. Generally, in other words, what do you'all think on that sized space for birds as far as suitability and numbers and any other thoughts in your more "expert" opinions?

Oh... on more thing... there are feral pigeons in my town... try to find one where there aren't, huh... but I've never seen them in my neighborhood, but if I got some birds would thier presence in the loft tend to attract ferals?

[KIPPY]

" if I got some birds would thier presence in the loft tend to attract ferals?
YES! That is why I put chicken wire on top of the cage. Sooner or later they would have started nesting. Learning from someone elses experience.

"I was figuring on leaving a "gap" at the bottom of the open frame / wire mesh wall I'd build by about an inch or two for easier sweeping and hosing out... does that make sense? "

I left a gap at the bottom for hosing and sweeping which works good. I would not go anymore then an inch. I had a little section of the door that was more then an inch and the sparrows got in but then couldn't get out. That was fun!

[ZigZagMarquis]

Et All,

Well... I started building a loft today. I decided to "fench in" a good portion of my patio... it will provide an apx 16'x8'x4.5' space. I got the rough 2x4 "walls" up today... built it like a house, 2x4 studs, top plate, bottom plate... went 2' on center vice 16", but pretty much built the walls like a house, since that's what I know what to do. Anyway, tomorrow, I figure I'll work on somemore bracing and a door OR dark, which ever comes first. After that... solid walls on one end, 1/2" hardware mesh over the rest, perches, boxes, landing board, trap... and... hopefully, in a few weeks... PIGEONS!

[KIPPY]

Sounds like fun work!