Chickens are easy to care for but one thing you should take into consideration is what type of wire will you use to contain and protect them in your coop? When you decide to build an enclosure for your animals one of the most important things to consider is what kind of predators do you have that may try to get in to eat your livestock? If you have bears vs raccoons you will need a different level of security to keep your animals safe.Chicken wire can easily be found at big box hardware stores. It has the hexagonal holes that are about an inch wide. I have never used this wire because almost everything I have found recommends against it. Generally the consensus seems to be that chicken wire is used to keep animals in and not to keep predators out. The wire is thin and flimsy which allows predators easy access to your livestock.
Welded wire has larger openings and I have used it on an outdoor enclosure for my chickens. Keep in mind though that the larger holes allows animals the ability to reach into the enclosure and they may be able to grab and kill your livestock. When I used welded wire on my outdoor enclosure of my coop I attached it above hardware cloth so animals would have a difficult time reaching in and grabbing my livestock. Welded wire is much stronger than chicken wire and generally is considered a good protection against predators.
Hardware cloth has much smaller holes than welded wire. It is much stronger than chicken wire and offers a good amount of protection for your animals. I like to use hardware cloth on the lower portion of my animal pens to keep predators from being able to reach into the pen. It comes in a variety of sizes and is what I prefer to use when trying to contain baby animals.
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