Advantages and Implementation  – Chicken Wire vs. Hardware Cloth

Chicken wire vs. hardware cloth is an old dilemma. Most people who have to make a fence have one question for experienced people. Which one is better? Chicken wire or Hardware cloth? Different answers have been based on different experiences. Both meshes have excellent characteristics, but disadvantages too. We would suggest you search information about the chicken wire pattern before deciding what mesh to buy.

Charles Barnard`s Chicken Wire

Chicken wire vs. hardware cloth is an intriguing subject, and sometimes the difference between the two meshes is not so obvious. Although the wire was used since ancient times, the first man who made chicken wire was called Charles Barnard. He wanted to help his father at their farm. The first chicken wire was made with the great help of cloth weaving machine. Ancient Egyptians made beautiful jewelry out of the chicken wire. In 1600` some workers from Slovakia made the first animal cages while a couple of today`s wire artists grew up on a farm where they had access to chicken wire. Chicken wire is a well-known mesh all around the world and so is the hardware cloth. To decide which one is the best option for some special purpose is not an easy task. Chicken wire is fabricated from galvanized wire with gaps. If you do a small research, you will realize that this material can be found in many sizes and different gauges.

A Multipurpose Material

Nowadays, chicken wire, like hardware cloth, is used by farmers all around the world to build fences, cages for small animals, poultry netting, storage bins, tree guards, window guards or trellises for climbing plants and flowers. Others use it to decorate their house, and artists create sculptures or floating decoration out of the chicken wire. Constructors use it to secure other materials. Chicken wire is easy to cut, easy to handle and install, it offers a good ventilation and a solid construction, and it is available in many sizes and different materials. PVC poultry netting consists basically of the PVC coated chicken wire. It` s a good solution to make cages for small animals, and if you need a space to keep your hens inside, a frame and chicken wire can solve your problem. It is flexible and you can transform it into anything. You can make a chicken wire basket and keep onions in the kitchen, or make a bird feeder. It is also an economical product and accessible even with a smaller budget. However, even if the chickens are kept inside, the chicken wire has a disadvantage too. It can’t stop predators. Foxes and raccoons can break in easily.

What is Hardware Cloth?

If we want to find out which option is better, chicken wire vs. hardware cloth, we need to analyze hardware cloth too. Hardware cloth is also a flexible welded mesh, with smaller gauges. It’s used especially to make cages. If you have a hole in the wall, with a piece of hardware cloth you can patch it, and it will resist for a long time. Like chicken wire, hardware cloth is also available in many colors, materials, and dimensions. Hardware cloth is good to make baskets. The ladies will love that they have fruits or vegetables near them in the kitchen without spending a fortune on baskets. When you are bored of your hardware cloth basket you can transform it into a bird feeder. Craftsmen use it to secure pipes. Everybody knows how annoying it can be when you have way too many objects around you, but you have no idea what to do with them. A good storage idea is to make a frame, put hardware cloth on it, hang it on the wall, and you can hang objects on it. Talking about chicken wire vs. hardware cloth, we have to say that hardware cloth is economical on long-term, flexible and easy to work with, easy to cut and it also has a solid construction.

Which one is better?

In the chicken wire vs. hardware cloth discussion, it all depends on the purpose. Hardware cloth offers better protection. Chicken wire keeps hens or other small animals in the desired area, but it has a large opening and flexibility. These characteristics allow predators to gain access if they are ambitious and perseverant. Hardware cloth is stronger; it has small openings, blocks the access for animals and keeps predators out. The analyzing of chicken wire vs. hardware cloth continues, and when it comes to stopping predators, hardware cloth is clearly stronger.

Where to use chicken wire with success?

If you have pullets and you want to keep them separated from the older hens, a hex netting wall is a very good solution. Chicken wire is great for craft projects and using a chicken wire mesh in front of the camera when you are taking a photo, will give you an interesting texture. The result will be beautiful. At this point, our research shows that chicken wire vs. hardware cloth, chicken wire is better for craft projects because it is affordable, flexible, and easy to work with. The choice is easy to make as you can take a decision depending on whether you want to make a fence or a cage. In the chicken wire vs. hardware cloth case, hardware cloth is better, has a higher resistance and keeps predators out. If you want to keep animals in a cage, protection is essential. Its disadvantage is that it’s more expensive than chicken wire, but it’s worth all the money because it will resist for a long time. For smaller projects, chicken wire is an accessible material, especially if you need it for the poultry, during the daytime, when you can keep your eyes on them. Also, for sculpture, decorations trellises it`s recommended to use hex netting.