Starting and Running Pen/ 18 or 20 gauge wire??

[BCBeagles]

Does it benefit any to have the heavier wire for durability and overall years of good use?
Just want to make the best I can cause we are putting a lot of money in it already and am
cutting no coreners. Thanks much!!

[tom summers]

Use coated wire it will last longer. Run at least 3 strands of high tensile around it before you put fencing up. Also another tip that a friend gave me was to make your corners rounded, the rabbits have less of a tendency to sit in them and get caught. makes a big difference.
Tom

[BCBeagles]

Thanks, I am getting the coated wire. I just want to make this thing last as long as possible! Just wondering if the heavier gauge helps or makes
really no difference.

[BCBeagles]

ttt

[rabbitearl]

I think it would help but what about the price?

[BCBeagles]

200 bucks difference between the two. Just thought the heavier wire would be a help?

[BCBeagles]

I was wrong on that Earl. It is about 750 bucks difference.

[rabbitearl]

it would be a help but I ve got a friend who has a 15 ac pen chain fence.He said he has a nice pen but it want keep out the stuff that getting his rabbits.I have another friend that has a 12 ac pen 20 ga.He told me the other day he don t run in it nomore.Why?he said he was tired of running in the same place all the time.He wanted something different.200 hundred is alot in different.I would go with the 20 coated wire.My first pen that I build in 87 was 17 ga without coated.In three years were it was wet.No good but were it was not wet.Still this day it very strong.But I don t used this pen no more.Had a creek running in the middle of it.That want any good at all, after a big rain, and very hard to keep rabbits in it.Before you build this pen make sure it will hold rabbits.I ve got another pen that there want no rabbit there the start with but I build it anyway.Till this day its hard to keeps rabbits there.Good luck.

[rabbitearl]

Oh that is alot.Go with the 20 ga.You will never know but maybe in three or four years.You might not like a pen.You just don t know.

[S.R.Patch]

My old chicken lot got the 17 ga. uncoated. I put the roof coat on it, still good.
I bought some coated 18 ga off a feller over in Ky that had got to many rolls for his pen, it's not to much smaller than the 17 ga.
Bought a few rolls of coated 20 ga from a building supply store, the store had a big storage shed roof cave in under a big load of snow we got few years ago and was selling as damaged goods.
There's a good bit of difference between the thickness of the 18ga and the 20 ga, not so much between the 17ga and the 18 ga.
I'd say when you nick the coating off the 20 ga, it won't take long to rust through, but for the price difference you could buy an extra roll to use for patching the lighter wire.
If the pups chew on it or the rabbits or other critters pull at it, that will be the breaking point.

[BCBeagles]

Thanks guys.

[ncbeagler]

YOU CAN BUY THE VINYL COATED 20 GAUGE AND USE IT FROM MY EXPERIENCE IN WET OR DAMP AREAS IT WILL OUT LAST THE 17 GAUGE HWICH IS THICKER BUT UNCOATED. WITH 17 GA U DONT NEED ANY HIGH TENSILE WIRE TO TIE TO THOUGH ITS ABOUT 25-30 DOLLARS MORE PER ROLL, U CAN BUY FROM HOG SLAT THE 2 FT HIGH VINYL COATED 150FT ROLLS FOR 40 DOLLARS FOR PATCHING HOLES OR BAD SECTIONS.

[beagler282]

I've got the 18guage heavy duty coated and the 20 guage coated on my pen and the 20 guage was a waste of money.Eventually the 20 guage will be replaced with the 18.