6 Wires For Reinforcing Chicken Run Floors That Old Farmers Swear By

You step outside one morning to a scene of feathers and silence, a telltale hole dug right under the wall of your chicken run. It’s a gut-wrenching lesson that many of us learn the hard way: a predator’s determination rarely stops at the walls. Securing the floor of your run isn’t an optional upgrade; it’s the foundation of a safe home for your flock.

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Choosing Wire for a Predator-Proof Chicken Run

The ground is a predator’s highway. Raccoons, foxes, weasels, and even neighborhood dogs are expert diggers, and they see the dirt floor of your run as an open invitation. Reinforcing that floor with the right wire turns a weak point into a fortress.

The two most critical factors are gauge and mesh size. Gauge refers to the thickness of the wire; a lower gauge number means a thicker, stronger wire. Mesh size is the dimension of the openings. A small mesh stops tiny predators and prevents larger ones from reaching a paw through to grab a bird.

Your choice depends entirely on your local predator load. A determined fox requires a thick gauge wire it can’t chew through. A sneaky weasel or snake requires a tiny mesh size it can’t squeeze through. The best solutions address both strength and access, creating a barrier that is both tough and impenetrable.

YARDGARD 1/2-Inch Galvanized Hardware Cloth

This is the gold standard for a reason. If you want to sleep soundly knowing nothing short of a bear can get into your run, 1/2-inch hardware cloth is your answer. The small mesh size prevents even the smallest snakes and weasels from entry, and it’s impossible for a raccoon to get its dexterous paws through.

Typically made from 19-gauge wire, it isn’t the thickest option on this list. However, the tightly welded 1/2-inch grid creates an incredibly rigid and strong sheet of metal. A predator can’t get enough purchase on a single wire to tear it, making the overall barrier exceptionally tough.

The primary drawback is cost. Hardware cloth is significantly more expensive per square foot than other welded wire options. But if you live in an area with high predator pressure from a wide variety of animals, this is an investment in total peace of mind. It’s the material you use when you can’t afford any mistakes.

Everbilt 14-Gauge 1×2-Inch Welded Wire Mesh

For most hobby farmers, this is the sweet spot. A 14-gauge wire is seriously tough—far too thick for a raccoon or fox to chew through with any success. It provides a formidable physical barrier against the most common mid-sized predators.

The 1×2-inch mesh offers a practical compromise. It’s small enough to stop a fox or coyote, but large enough to allow chicken droppings and spilled feed to fall through easily. This helps keep the run floor cleaner and drier, reducing the risk of disease and parasites.

This wire strikes an excellent balance between security, cost, and ease of use. It’s rigid enough to lay flat and secure easily, but not as cumbersome and heavy as chain link. If your main concerns are raccoons, opossums, and foxes—and not so much snakes or weasels—this is a reliable and cost-effective choice.

11.5-Gauge Galvanized Chain Link Fence Fabric

When you need pure, brute-force strength, you turn to chain link. At 11.5-gauge (or even thicker 9-gauge), the wire itself is virtually indestructible by common predators. No raccoon, coyote, or stray dog is chewing through this stuff.

The major tradeoff is the large mesh size, typically a 2-inch diamond pattern. This will easily stop a coyote, but it’s a wide-open door for a weasel and allows a raccoon to reach right through. Because of this, it’s best used as a foundational layer for a large run, buried deep to prevent digging by powerful animals.

Be prepared for a workout during installation. Chain link is heavy, awkward, and requires tensioning to be installed properly. It’s a permanent, bomb-proof solution, but it’s not a simple weekend project. It’s the right choice for large-scale runs where the primary threat is from large, powerful diggers.

20-Gauge, 1-Inch Hexagonal Poultry Netting

Let’s be perfectly clear: poultry netting is for keeping chickens in, not for keeping predators out. This thin, 20-gauge wire, often called "chicken wire," is a common and dangerous mistake for beginners. A raccoon can tear it apart with its bare hands in minutes.

So why is it on a list of wires old farmers swear by? Because it has a specific, secondary role. It can be laid over a stronger, larger mesh like chain link to close the gaps against smaller pests. It’s also useful for creating internal partitions or covering the top of a run to stop aerial predators.

Never, ever rely on hexagonal poultry netting as your primary defense on a run floor. It creates a false sense of security that will eventually lead to tragedy. Think of it as a screen door—it keeps the bugs out, but you still need a solid main door for real security.

Black Vinyl-Coated 16-Gauge Welded Wire

This is the durable, long-haul option. The vinyl coating provides a critical extra layer of defense against rust and corrosion. When you bury wire in damp soil and cover it with acidic chicken manure, standard galvanized wire will eventually fail. The vinyl coating dramatically extends its lifespan.

A 16-gauge wire is a solid middle ground, offering significantly more strength than 19-gauge hardware cloth while remaining more flexible and affordable than 14-gauge. Combined with a 1×2-inch or 1×1-inch mesh, it provides excellent protection against most common predators.

The black coating also has an aesthetic benefit, as it tends to be less visually obtrusive than shiny galvanized wire. This is a premium choice for those building a permanent run who value longevity. You pay a bit more upfront to avoid having to dig up and replace a rusted-out floor in five or ten years.

304 Stainless Steel 1/2-Inch Welded Mesh

If you want to build a run floor once and have it outlast the coop, the chickens, and possibly you, this is the material. 304 stainless steel is completely impervious to the rust and corrosion that eventually claims even the best galvanized and coated wires. It simply does not break down.

This makes it the ultimate choice for deep litter methods or any situation where the wire will be permanently buried and inaccessible. It offers the impenetrable 1/2-inch mesh of hardware cloth combined with unparalleled longevity. There is no stronger or more durable option available for a run floor.

The only reason this isn’t the standard is its astronomical cost. Stainless steel mesh is an industrial-grade product with a price tag to match. It is absolute overkill for most situations, but for the hobby farmer building a "forever coop" with no compromises, it eliminates a future point of failure for good.

Final Verdict: Gauge and Mesh Size Matter Most

Ultimately, the brand name on the roll of wire is far less important than its two core specifications: the thickness of the wire (gauge) and the size of the openings (mesh). Your entire decision should be based on matching these two numbers to the predators in your specific area.

Here’s a simple framework:

• Maximum Security: For protection against everything from weasels to coyotes, 1/2-inch hardware cloth is the only surefire bet.
• Balanced Security: For common threats like raccoons and foxes, a 14-gauge or 16-gauge welded wire with a 1×2-inch mesh is a fantastic, durable choice.
• Strength Over Finesse: For stopping large, powerful diggers, heavy-gauge chain link provides an unbeatable structural base, but it may need a secondary layer.

The floor is the most laborious part of a run to install and the most devastating part to have fail. Don’t be tempted by the cheap roll of poultry netting. A little extra investment in a thick-gauge, small-mesh wire is the best insurance policy you can buy for your flock.

Building a secure floor is hard work, but it’s work you only have to do once if you do it right. A solid foundation lets your chickens forage in peace, and more importantly, it lets you rest easy at night.