6 Best Chicken Wire Fences For Small Backyard Coops That Keep Predators Out
Secure your flock with the right fence. We review the top 6 chicken wire options for small coops, focusing on durability and predator protection.
You check on your flock one morning and find a scene of devastation—feathers, tracks, and a heartbreaking silence where cheerful clucking used to be. This nightmare scenario is often the result of a simple, preventable mistake: using the wrong kind of fence. Choosing the right material is the single most important decision you’ll make to protect your birds from the raccoons, hawks, and foxes that see your coop as a buffet.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. Thank you!
Why Standard Chicken Wire Fails Against Raccoons
Let’s get one thing straight: standard "chicken wire" is for keeping chickens in, not for keeping predators out. The name itself is a dangerous misnomer for anyone serious about flock security. This thin, hexagonal wire is typically 20-gauge or higher (a higher number means thinner wire), making it incredibly easy for a determined predator to tear.
A raccoon, with its surprising strength and dexterous paws, can rip a hole in standard chicken wire in minutes. Even if they can’t tear it, the wide hexagonal openings (usually 1-inch or more) are large enough for them to reach through and grab a bird. This is how many chickens are maimed or killed without the predator ever entering the run.
Think of chicken wire as a visual barrier for your birds, suitable for sectioning off parts of a larger, secure run. Never rely on it as your primary line of defense. For that, you need something much tougher.
YARDGARD Hardware Cloth: The Predator-Proof Standard
When you need to build a fortress, 1/2-inch hardware cloth is the gold standard. Unlike flimsy chicken wire, hardware cloth is a rigid, welded wire mesh that creates an impenetrable barrier. YARDGARD is a widely available and reliable brand that gets the job done.
The key is the 1/2-inch (or smaller) grid pattern. This spacing is too small for a raccoon’s paw to fit through, completely neutralizing their primary weapon. It also stops smaller predators like weasels and snakes that could slip through larger openings. Look for 19-gauge wire or lower (thicker) for maximum strength.
Use hardware cloth on all windows, vents, and any opening on the coop itself. For the run, it’s the best choice for the lower few feet of the fence—the primary attack zone for ground-based predators. It’s more expensive and harder to work with than chicken wire, but this is not the place to cut corners.
Amagabeli Galvanized Cloth for Buried Fence Aprons
Predators don’t just climb; they dig. Foxes, dogs, and even raccoons will try to tunnel under your fence if they can’t get through it. The solution is a buried fence apron, and a durable galvanized hardware cloth like the kind Amagabeli produces is perfect for the job.
An apron is an L-shaped extension of your fence. You attach a 12-to-24-inch wide strip of hardware cloth to the bottom of your vertical fence and lay it flat on the ground, extending outward from the run. You can then bury it under a few inches of dirt or cover it with rocks. When a predator tries to dig at the fenceline, they hit this wire barrier and give up.
The galvanization process coats the steel wire in zinc, providing crucial protection against rust and corrosion from being buried in damp soil. This ensures your underground barrier remains effective for years without degrading. It’s an extra step during construction, but it closes a major security loophole.
Fencer Wire 19-Gauge for Maximum Security
For those with high predator pressure from larger animals like coyotes or stray dogs, you may want to step up to a brand that specializes in strength. Fencer Wire’s 19-gauge welded wire is exceptionally rigid and designed to withstand significant force. While functionally similar to other hardware cloths, its robust welds provide extra peace of mind.
This type of fencing is ideal for the entire run, not just the lower portion, if you live in an area with particularly bold predators. The rigidity of 19-gauge wire makes it harder for a heavy animal to bend or warp by pushing against it. It stands up straight and maintains its integrity.
The tradeoff is cost and difficulty. Heavier gauge wire is more expensive and requires more effort to cut and hang. However, if you’ve faced persistent predator attacks, investing in a maximum-security wire like this is cheaper than repeatedly replacing your flock.
Garden Armor Vinyl Coated for Long-Lasting Runs
If you’re building a permanent run that needs to last a decade or more, consider a vinyl-coated hardware cloth. Garden Armor and similar brands offer a product where the galvanized wire is encased in a layer of black or green vinyl. This provides a powerful one-two punch against the elements.
The vinyl coating acts as a second barrier against moisture, dramatically extending the life of the fence, especially in rainy or humid climates. It seals the metal away from the constant exposure that causes rust. The dark coating also has an aesthetic benefit, as it tends to be less visually obtrusive and "disappears" into the landscape better than shiny galvanized wire.
This is a premium option, and you’ll pay more for it. But for a permanent, "build it once and forget it" structure, the added longevity is worth the upfront investment. It prevents the tedious job of replacing rusted-out sections of your run down the road.
Tenax Hexagonal Netting for Overhead Protection
Securing your run from above is just as important as securing the sides, but you don’t need the same heavy-duty material. Hawks, owls, and other aerial predators are a serious threat, but they are deterred by a simple overhead barrier. A lightweight, UV-stabilized plastic netting like Tenax is an excellent choice for this.
Heavy hardware cloth is difficult to stretch across a wide run, and it can sag significantly under its own weight or with a bit of snow. Lightweight plastic or poly-nylon netting is easy to install, won’t rust, and effectively blocks birds of prey. The key is to ensure it is UV-stabilized, otherwise the sun will make it brittle and useless within a season.
Make sure the netting is pulled taut to prevent sagging, which can create pockets where snow or debris can collect. This is a perfect example of using the right material for the job—it provides effective protection without the unnecessary weight and expense of using metal wire for every surface.
Premier 1 PoultryNet Plus for Mobile Coops
For those who use chicken tractors or practice rotational grazing, a permanent fence isn’t an option. This is where electric poultry netting shines. Premier 1 PoultryNet Plus is the industry leader, combining a physical barrier with a psychological deterrent.
The netting consists of vertical and horizontal poly-wires with thin metal conductors woven in. Hooked up to a fence charger (solar or plug-in), the fence delivers a short, sharp, but safe shock to any predator that touches it. This quickly teaches raccoons, foxes, and even bears to stay far away.
Electric netting is incredibly versatile, allowing you to set up a secure paddock in minutes. The main considerations are cost—you need the netting and a charger—and maintenance. You must keep the fenceline mowed, as tall grass can touch the bottom hot wire and ground out the fence, rendering it useless.
Securing Your Fence with Poultry Netting Staples
The world’s best fencing material is worthless if it’s not attached properly. Predators are experts at finding the one loose corner or small gap you overlooked. The final, critical step is securing your hardware cloth or wire to your wooden frame with poultry netting staples (also called U-staples).
Do not use a standard staple gun. Those fine-wire staples are easily pulled out by a determined raccoon. You need heavy-duty, U-shaped staples that you hammer in, straddling the wire and sinking deep into the wood. Place a staple every 4-6 inches along every single wooden surface—top, bottom, and sides.
Pay extra attention to corners and seams where two pieces of wire meet. Overlap the wire by at least two inches and place staples along the entire seam. The goal is to make the wire and the wood frame one single, solid unit with absolutely no weak points, gaps, or loose edges for a predator to exploit.
Building a secure coop isn’t about finding a single magic-bullet fence; it’s about creating a layered defense system. By choosing the right material for each job—hardware cloth for the walls, an apron for the diggers, and netting for the sky—you can build a true fortress. A little extra investment in the right materials now will pay off in peace of mind for years to come.
