Reddit mentions: The best decking & fencing materials

Food and water typically goes in a covered area of the run. Only way to keep rodents out of it is to only feed them a day's worth of food at a time. This prevents waste as well.

Chickens will go in every night. If the run is fully secure (2"x4" welded wire, chain link, or other strong wire, not chicken wire), then you don't need a door. If the run is open on the or is otherwise not fully secure, then you do need a door that can latch. They could probably figure out a swinging door, but so can a predator. Unless you're in a very cold area, just leave it as an open hole if your run is going to be 100% enclosed.

As for cover for the run, it depends on the size and how you're building it. 1/4" or 1/2" hardware cloth is the best if they're going to be roosting somewhere that a raccoon could reach. Chain link or 2"x4" welded wire is sufficient for the most of the run. 50' 1/2", 50' 1/4"

I free range my birds, so I don't really do much coop cleaning. Laying down fresh hay after a rain in the uncovered portion of my coop is about all they get. You probably want to replace the substrate when it's dirty... People love walk-in coops for that purpose.

you could get an automatic coop door:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TONTHRG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We have a coop run that is highly secured, and a main coop that is also secured. We close the coop run manually, and the main coop house closes automatically. All it took was closing the girls in the main coop run then letting themselves get locked out overnight a few times for them to learn to get in the house. Now we have gone down after dark more than once and all the girls are in the house and the door closed.

you would need to secure the main run area better to use our approach though. Our run is enclosed on all sides (including bottom) with 1/2" hardware cloth. Right next to the main house door (where the girls tend to sit if they get locked out) is #8 mesh. All mesh is secured between pieces of cedar framing with screws running through the cedar and the mesh.

We use the slide type doors which I feel are more secure than other options. one I made myself with diamond plate aluminum (if you can get flat aluminum I recommend it) that slides between rails of flat bar aluminum that have a gap created by washers. You can also buy a very similar design if you want to:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018KIVUC0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


The biggest thing you need to do to secure your coop/run area is enclose the entire thing in hardware cloth. It needs to be the small 1/2" hardware cloth like here: https://www.amazon.com/Hardware-Galvanized-Chicken-Supports-Poultry/dp/B015PD9F52/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1499439834&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=hardware+cloth&psc=1.

When I say enclose, I mean fully enclose on all sides including top and bottom. The cloth must be screwed/anchored in place (not just stapled). If you use larger cloth then animals such as racoons can reach through and grab the chickens. You should include the house in the enclosure. If you do not secure the bottom then they will just dig under and in.

I've had animals try and fail to get into my coop. I came out one day to find blood all over one side of the coop where an animal had tried to scratch its way in and lost claws. I also have come out to find that animals had tried to dig under the coop only to find hardware cloth there as well. you MAY be able to get away with just putting a hardware cloth skirt a few feet out from the coop but I prefer to just have the floor be hardware cloth.

Finally, all latches that allow us to get into the coop are safety latches since racoons can figure out normal latches. we mostly use hook and eyes like these (I use stainless though): https://www.amazon.com/Zinc-Plated-Wire-Safety-4-Pack/dp/B01LYNKFIL/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1499440049&sr=1-1&keywords=hook+and+eye+safety+latch

Though our main coop door does have this sort of latch (which we intend to add a padlock to if there are signs of animals getting in through it): https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-National-Hardware-CD1271-Sliding/dp/B009YNW3QS/ref=sr_1_12?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1499440093&sr=1-12&keywords=gate+latch+lock

It's not available right now, but I bought this from Amazon. It was less than half the price of Home Despot, and with free shipping, it worked out well. It's super sturdy, and good for keeping out predators.

The question you might ask, is how long to you want it to last? Raw untreated pine, sitting on the soil, is going to start rotting from the first minute it gets hit with a sprinkler or rain.

If this is going to be your forever mobile coop, you need to go back to the drawing board, unfortunately. Your base needs to be much more robust, and it shouldn't rot, rust, or get eaten by bugs. I'm going to suggest aluminum channel:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Crown-Bolt-3-4-in-W-x-9-16-in-H-x-96-in-L-Aluminum-C-Channel-with-1-16-in-Thick-56870/100338033

$11 for 8 feet. Resists bending against the channel. Very lightweight. Easy to cut. Will never rust. OK, it'll oxidize, but not enough to worry about.

For the wheels, get six of them. One on each corner, and two in the center. These would float over your yard:

http://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-solid-rubber-tire-42427.html

or get some swivel plate castors:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2-Heavy-Duty-Steel-Swivel-Caster-Black-Nylon-Wheel-Large-Top-Plate-NEW/32239532215.html?spm=2114.01010208.3.226.0wokOf&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_7,searchweb201602_1_10057_10056_10037_10055_10049_301_10059_10058_10032_10017_405_404_106_10040_105_104_10060_103_10061_102_412,searchweb201603_8&btsid=bc8dcd0b-9e8f-4fcc-babd-12da1185ce7f

The door and the wire are going to be something to think about. Chicken wire is flimsy, lightweight, and cheap. It is hard to make it look professional, because you have to keep it stretched tight all the time. Hardware cloth is a far better product:

https://www.amazon.com/Windscreen4less-19-Gauge-2-Inch-Mesh-Galvanized-Hardware/dp/B00VWA1X08/ref=sr_1_3?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1469766180&sr=1-3&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_two_browse-bin%3A7023327011

PM me if you get as far as the door.

Good luck, buddy. You've got a job ahead of you.

.223 are going to be pretty hard to pan lube no matter what because of the small size mixed with the length. You could dip the bullets into liquid lube, but doing that is pretty slow and not really something you will want to to with bullets you will shoot mainly in bulk.

Another option would be use some small wire strung across the pan to form a grid pattern, drop the boolits in nose up to each square before pouring lube into the pan. Along the same lines as that, a baking cooing rack or some hardware cloth should work great and be easier than wire.

That said, is there a reason that you don't want to powder coat the .223 bullets?

So what you are saying is that I's want to wrap and secure it to the coop: http://www.amazon.com/Mat-Midwest-308239A-48-Inch---50-Foot/dp/B0009H53AQ/ref=sr_1_3/180-9608503-3339424?ie=UTF8&qid=1398795884&sr=8-3&keywords=hardware+cloth+1+4

Would I have to secure it top to bottom or could I get by with just wrapping the bottom of the coop? Thank you so much for the help.

So something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Mat-Midwest-308200B-36-Inch---50-Foot/dp/B0009H53L0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398448326&sr=8-1&keywords=hardware+cloth

Does anyone have experience cutting hardware cloth like this? What would be the best way to fasten it?

Holy smokes, Batman!

That actually is a cool tuxedo

I like the color

it's actually my favorite color

[this is an item] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BWY7UQ/ref=wl_it_dp_v_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3MZKKTPS3LUTM&coliid=I3N6JD3OMB018I)

Some people use chicken wire.

Carpenter cloth is another popular solution.

Would something like this work if I sprayed it with Rustoleum? (Let me know what kind of spray paint to get.) I think the additional mesh would be 30" x 12" (x2) and 18" x 12" (x2). So I think a 10' roll would be enough, but please let me know if anyone can figure that out...

I spent some time writing a bit more of a detailed write up a few posts below, but links copied here. Honestly wasn't tallying costs as I put all this together, but I'd estimate somewhere in the $600-$800 range.

• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ALK5DXC/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y2LGZT2/

Those look like footing pads, not brake rotors from a car...

Basically, these. They keep the wood from directly contacting moisture and then rotting. Are they to code? Where is this house?

...

Actually, I just looked again. They look like brake rotors from a car acting as footing pads. Weird.

We faced this exact problem. Moved into a new home with a severe gopher problem. Fumigation was ineffective. We cleared the backyard out to bare earth and put hardware cloth in under our soil amendments and new sod.

In my research (UC Davis has a great right up here), there are no effective repellents for gophers. The only effective treatments are exclusion (putting in hardware cloth), poisoning and trapping. I went the trapping method and baited with peanut butter. We've been able to clear gophers out of the backyard and I'm working on hunting down the last (I think) gopher in the front.

One more note: don't waste your time with chicken wire. Gophers can chew through the wire and it'll rust away too quickly to help for long.

[Something like this?](https://www.amazon.com/LATTICE-FENCE-Outdoor-Flexible-Weatherproof/dp/B00IRF1NOM?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_6
)

Something like https://www.amazon.com/DuraGrid-DT24GRAY-Outdoor-Interlocking-Multi-Use/dp/B076ZFDKGL?

Even simpler than palettes is to just use a slightly more durable version of “chicken wire,” like this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C89QJU0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YG9PCbHAA6K7K

Just cut off 10 feet of it and stand it up in a circle. Boom. You have a 3-foot cylinder. Sew up the ends with a zip ties or wire and that’s all you need to do. Even better, when it’s time to turn the pile you just undo your ties and peel the metal cloth away. Your pile will stick together in place. Set up your cylinder right next to it and shovel it all in. This works so much better than an uncontained pile on the ground, due to the low angle of repose that finished compost has.

I have a whole bunch of this stuff in storage. I was thinking of cutting out every other wire to double the size of the holes and using this as a fixed net. Do you think fixed netting would be harmful? My thoughts are that it's stronger than string and re-usable.

Think about erosion control - jute mesh, straw or coconut blankets, etc.

I did something similar with a jute mesh blanket. I loosened up the soil, layed the mesh and put the largest bark nuggets I could get. The nuggets embed themselves and create a variable surface. The blanket holds them in place until they settle.

Jute Mesh: Amazon

They sell galvanized steel screen mesh that is suppose to be pet proof but in no more than two days a persistent bird can rip through it. I would make a frame that can go over the window with mesh like This! over a wooden frame like this !

check the amazon reviews:
https://www.amazon.com/NewTechWood-QD-PK-TK-UltraShield-Peruvian-Composite/dp/B00J205C3Y

Yeah, I just pour it on it.
A metal trivet could work well. Cast iron is a generally poor conductor of heat as far as metals go, and they almost always have feet on them that have heat resistant pads to 1) insulate just in case and 2) prevent scratching tables. And they’re quite inexpensive.

You could also get a piece of hardware cloth and cut it into the shape of the receptacle you’re burning in to act as a trap for any flyaway material without smothering the flame.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EXWMOY0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_0FdCCb5NYEME
You can the amount you need at a local hardware store.

I don’t burn a ton of stuff, but since you do it might be good to cover more bases and reduce risks.

Maybe this will help. I don't know what hardware cloth is called in AUS but here is an example of what they are talking about Hardware Cloth

Get a roll of hardware cloth and cut a piece off to fit the exposed area. This stuff comes in handy for rodent proofing your house, too.

You can also have a piece cut for you at any hardware store.

Roll of hardware cloth

For rabbits you an use this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RZCI30/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 -- in store is cheaper than amazon.
I'm still anxious to see if the rabbit in my neighborhood can jump this or dig under. I cut it in half so it's only 1 foot high all around.

Deer can also eat kale, squirrels can be a PITA I hear. Best bet is to go all around with row covers or make this https://www.reddit.com/r/gardening/comments/8fna35/the_raised_garden_bed_i_designed_is_finally_done/

I've constructed baskets with 1/2 inch opening hardware cloth and j-clips/pliers (used to make cages for rabbits). I ordered a 36" wide and 50 ft long roll of hardware cloth. My baskets are 20-inch squares, 8 inches deep. Planted my seeds, and put the baskets over them - so they won't get dug up by squirrels. You could anchor the baskets with landscaping staples if you think it will be a problem.

http://www.homemadebycarmona.com/diy-wire-baskets/

http://www.amazon.com/Windscreen4less-19-Gauge-2-Inch-Mesh-Galvanized-Hardware/dp/B00VW9VLPG?ie=UTF8&keywords=1%2F2%20inch%20hardware%20cloth&qid=1459308901&ref_=sr_1_10&sr=8-10