May 2020

Learn how important it is to pick a good quality mesh for our coops

Chicken netting, also known as chicken wire, tends to be an essential resource on farms where poultry are bred. It is also used on farms where other poultry byproducts are obtained, for example, farms where broilers are raised and farms where layers are raised. When we use good quality chicken mesh, we reduce common poultry farm problems  that could hurt our birds in the breeding process. For example, external birds might bring diseases that could cause overwhelming losses in our corrals since these birds raise health and safety concerns like flu and salmonella among others. In addition to carrying a wide range of diseases, outside birds come into corrals and coops and consume the feed that is meant to transform into pounds of meat apt for sale. This can affect the cost effectiveness of the poultry or pork farm by causing losses in the long term.

Chicken netting, CHICKENMALLA is ideal for use in corrals as protection for your birds 

What is chicken netting and how is it different from other meshes? 

Some people ask what chicken netting is, even though its name gives us a big clue about its function. To answer this question, it is a fence that is erected around chicken coops and runs in the area where the chicks will be raised. They are kept there until they are mature enough to slaughter or to be transferred to a larger area as necessary.

When we decide to begin production and consumption of poultry, whether it is small or large scale, one of the necessary materials and resources is chicken netting. Of course, less experienced poultry owners will wonder how important the type, model, brand, and material of the chicken netting really are.

Chicken netting, although necessary, is not the object of much thought among poultry owners since in many cases they use what come to hand in the moment: wooden boards, wire fencing, large sized sheet metal and other types of fencing not necessarily designed for chicken coops. This allows them to spend less on their farms, but at the same time it can be risky for their animals. One risk is injuries that could become infected, causing birds to be ill or even die.

If we consider the previously mentioned situations, it isn’t strange that first time poultry farms estimate that they lose between twenty and thirty per cent while their chicks are growing. Of course, even though this can sound contradictory, the lack of chicken netting isn’t synonymous with failure, but using it does minimize the risk. Generally , if we don’t use chicken netting, and in its place we use wire fencing or other materials that are not meant for this purpose, we can see that the poultry can easily pass through the spaces in the fencing. The same goes for wooden boards and sheet metal. The final result is negative in the long run. 

Using materials that could rust or rot with humidity and that impede the circulation of air inside can generate problems for poultry in the long run. Although, I almost always recommend reusing materials for our projects, there are times when one shouldn’t penny pinch. There are unique materials made for a specific use, like chicken netting, whose shape and size where designed for raising poultry, pigs and pet birds.

Wire chicken netting can get dirty whereas CHICKENMALLA which is made from strong plastic, gives you more cleanliness. 

What is the best chicken netting in the market?

The number of types of chicken netting on the market can be overwhelming with the models, shapes and even the material from which they are made differing. When we let the salesman know that we want netting for raising chickens, he should offer us netting made from metal or plastic, sold by the meter and that generally has a standard width. The netting should have spaces which permit circulation of light and air, but that don’t allow the chickens to escape through them.

Chicken netting made from black polypropylene are very resistant to humidity and the pH of chicken droppings. 

Currently it is common to find green plastic netting with small square spaces. You can also find galvanized metal netting or covered in plastic with hexagonal spaces. This last option is the most traditional and cheapest. 

Even with so many options, the netting you pick shouldn’t be just any netting because the nesting boxes and coops should be disinfected with chemicals and steam cyclically. This can harm traditional chicken wire. You should also consider that chicken and bird droppings are highly acid and can corrode the metal wire in a few months of use. So one alternative has been to replace chicken wire every few months when it loses its strength. Another option, although more expensive, is to get plastic netting or wire covered with plastic. 

In other words, when we get started in the world of poultry farms, we should consider how much we are interested in spending. If our goal is to start in the most efficient way, the best thing to do is to get chicken netting made from black polypropylene.  This is highly resistant to humidity and to the pH of livestock manure. They are considered the best in the market and will last several years without needing to be replaced. Since they are made from plastic, setting them up is easier and they don’t harm animals or workers when they are being put in and maintained. When you are thinking about a resource as essential as chicken netting, you should pick one made from a long lasting material and so I recommend CHICKENMALLA.

Chicken netting or poultry netting provides you good protection for your birds when you are raising poultry, allowing them to grow and develop adequately.

Aviary mesh is a mesh made from plastic. It is ideal for many diverse uses, including fencing for small animals, for flower beds, or for vegetable gardening. It is commonly utilized as a permanent or temporary fencefor keeping poultry of all weights and sizes, for example chicks, hens, turkeys, etc. Aviary mesh can be employed to contain other small livestock, as well, for example goats or other farm animals such as pigs.

In the case that you need to cage birds that fly, aviary mesh can be employed to build cages by putting it in as walls, ceiling and floor. 

Use aviary mesh as a bird block. Outside birds don’t just steal food from livestock, but they also can carry diseases and create hygiene problems, like for example a virus, which farm animals could catch. Population could be seriously reduced and so too your farm’s financial performance.

It can also be used to keep poultry, chicks and even free pets in your yard or patio. Backyard or home garden chicken coops, especially in urban and suburban areas, are a relatively recent phenomenon and are growing in popularity.  

The use of aviary mesh protects animals from predators and injury. It also guarantees correct ventilation of a coop, which is fundamental.

Main uses of aviary mesh

• Contain and control movement of chicks, ducks and other poultry. 
• Prevent attacks by raccoons, coyotes, foxes, dogs and other predators like mice, rats, snakes and other pests.
• Move the poultry to fresh pasture as a source of food and reduce the risks of diseases in chickens.
• Maintain a small group of poultry in a backyard. When this is well organized, chickens are a fundamental part of the garden, converting insects and weeds into useful manure.

Aviary mesh is easy to adjust in respect to size because you can cut it with any knife and it won’t have sharp edges. The design is simple and attractive and doesn’t stand out in its surroundings. You can use aviary mesh to put up fences with curves, corners or any shape you require, not just squares or rectangles.

Aviary mesh creates a healthy, safe environment for poultry and wildfowl. In fact, it improves the health and productivity by keeping chicken coops cleaner and dryer. It is used on chicken farms to replace the floor, which up till now has been traditionally made with wooden boards in poultry sheds. The flooring made from aviary mesh is mainly used for chickens, ducks, geese, and rabbits. It is resistant to rust and humidity. It is easy to clean which improves the environment on the poultry farm. In fact, bird droppings are very corrosive because of their extremely acid components and are a source of bacteria and, consequently, diseases. 

On the other hand, aviary mesh maximizes the chance to exercise for birds on breeding farms for broiler chickens, free range chickens and wildfowl. The simple, light design of the mesh allows you to move it and set it up repeatedly in any shape or size of area. This way you can change the feeding areas as necessary. This improves the wellbeing of the animals – rotating corrals. 

Advantages of aviary mesh

• Easy to set up, take down, clean and disinfect.
• Improve health and productivity of poultry.
• Keep chickens cleaner and dryer.
• Reduce time of cleaning and cost of labor.
• Convenient for any size and shape of structure. The panels are easily cut in order to put up. 
• Use aviary mesh for different animals. 
• Lasts for ten years and is competitively priced.

Aviary mesh is made from extracted, oriented polyethylene and is stabilized against UV rays, which is a guarantee of resistance and long lastingness. It is a better option than traditional chicken wire because it doesn’t rust or corrode and it’s easy to move and reuse.

Aviary mesh comes in a roll and you only need posts or a frame to install it. The material for the posts should be chosen according to the soil – dry, hard, rocky or soft. Just put up the posts, fix them in place and unroll the mesh against them. 

Aviary mesh is versatile, cheap, and it allows poultry and other livestock to be fenced in, but also permits them the space in which to grow freely, ecologically and profitably.