Chicken Wire (14 items found)

Although chicken wire gets its name from its original use of enclosing poultry, it is a versatile fencing material you can use in a variety of situations. Find the right poultry netting for your needs at Ace as well as a host of chicken wire tools to get the job done.

The Benefits of Chicken Wire Fencing 

Chicken wire, sometimes referred to as poultry netting, has a range of uses outside of protecting your flock of chickens. As well as keeping chickens safely in their run and helping to keep predators out, a chicken wire fence can also safeguard your vegetable or flower garden from smaller hungry pests.

Use poultry netting to give your yard general protection from raccoons, skunks and other critters that love to make a mess, or to create enclosures for pets like dogs, rabbits and more. It is important to know that welded wire fencing is more durable and a better choice for protecting against larger predators, like foxes. You can even use chicken wire for crafts and to provide a barrier around dangerous machinery in a garage or workshop to keep younger family members safe.

What is the Best Material for a Chicken Wire?

Poultry netting is usually made of metal or plastic.

• Metal chicken wire: Typically made from galvanized steel wire woven into hexagons. The galvanized metal protects against corrosion and offers increased durability. Despite its strength, chicken wire is highly flexible and easy to install as a fence in a DIY project. 
• Plastic chicken wire: Easier both to install and maintain than metal, plastic chicken wire can be cut to fit specific projects more easily. What’s more, no sharp edges after cutting the plastic chicken netting means it is safe around children, pets, and livestock.

Poultry Netting Features

As well as choosing between metal and plastic chicken wire, you will have to consider wire gauge, weave size and height and length.

• Gauge size: Thicker chicken wire is stronger, and its gauge number is smaller than thinner chicken wire. As a rule of thumb, the lower the number, the thicker the gauge.
• Fence weave size: The smaller the holes in the chicken wire fencing the more protection it provides by keeping smaller pests out.
• Chicken fence height and length: Find chicken wire in a range of lengths and heights to get the right amount of fencing for the job at hand.

How Do You Set Up Chicken Netting?

Depending on what project you’re undertaking, you will shape and install your chicken wire fencing differently. Here are a few tips for different projects with poultry netting:

• For poultry coops, make your fence around six feet high to keep chickens in and foxes out.
• Space your poultry fence posts close enough apart to keep tension and strength in the fence.
• At the base of your fence, bury the chicken wire at least a foot deep to foil burrowing predators like dogs and foxes.
• With plastic chicken wire, use thick metal staples to securely fix the wire to the post.

Installing your chicken wire is easier when you have the right tools. Wire cutters and industrial staplers are essential for fitting and maintenance, helping to keep your fencing in great shape for longer protection. For more tips and advice on how to use your chicken wire, stop by an Ace Hardware store near you where our knowledgeable staff will be happy to help.

Shop Chicken Wire Fencing at Ace

High-quality chicken netting can last for years with proper care and maintenance. Browse Ace’s poultry fencing options online from brands like Garden Zone, Tenax and others to get the equipment you need for your project. Then, explore a range of agricultural and garden fencing equipment, like electric fence parts and gate equipment for even more options.