Poultry Netting

Managing these rolls is a lot easier if you have a sharp pair of side cutters or needle-nose pliers with a wire-cutting notch. Since the gauge is so thin, you don’t need a lot of muscle, but you do need to keep a firm grip to avoid those sharp, cut ends from springing back and catching your skin. A good tip is to lay the netting flat on the ground or a piece of plywood and cut right along a straight line of the hexagonal mesh. This prevents you from leaving jagged “teeth” that can snag your clothes or scratch your birds later on. Always wear a pair of leather gloves because even the thinnest wire can give you a nasty poke if you’re not paying attention. It’s a quick task that only takes a few minutes if your tools are actually sharp.

Labels on the shelf might say one or the other, but you are looking at the same thin-gauge wire woven into that familiar honeycomb pattern. This material is perfect for temporary garden fencing or creating a light barrier for your poultry, as it is easy to shape and staple to wooden frames. The main thing to remember is that “netting” is a very accurate description because it behaves more like a fabric than a structural fence. It lacks the rigidity of welded wire or chain link, so it will sag over time if it isn’t supported by plenty of posts or a solid top rail. It is the go-to choice for DIY projects because it is so easy to work with, provided you understand its limitations when it comes to heavy-duty security.

Longevity often comes down to the environment and how much “acidic” help it gets from the birds themselves. In the Springfield-Branson area, the humidity and frequent rain can speed up the oxidation process, especially on the cheaper, “galvanized-before-weaving” varieties. If you want something that lasts closer to a decade, you might look into the PVC-coated options that add an extra layer of plastic protection over the metal. For the standard galvanized stuff, you’ll notice it starts to turn a dull grey and then a crusty brown right before it finally fails and snaps. Keeping it tight and well-supported prevents the wires from rubbing against each other, which helps preserve that thin galvanized layer for as long as possible.