How to Attach Chicken Wire

Chicken wire is one of the most economical types of fencing, because it is affordable and relatively easy to use. It is often used to cage small animals, enclose gardens and keep out pests. When building with chicken wire, you must firmly attach the wire to a stake or other solid surface. It is important to attach the chicken wire tightly and properly for your pen or enclosure to be effective.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Chicken wire
• Staple gun
• Wooden stakes
• Screwdriver
• Metal stakes
• Sledge hammer
• Hammer
• Tent stakes (optional)

Attaching Chicken Wire to Wooden Stakes

1. Staple the wire to the first stake. Begin from the bottom and work your way up. Ensure that the chicken wire is flush against the ground.

2. Pull the chicken wire out to the next stake. Wrap it around the outside of it, and keep the chicken wire pulled tight.

3. Hold the chicken wire taut and staple it to the stake in the same manner as before, working from the bottom to the top.

4. Repeat the process for each wooden stake.

Attaching Chicken Wire to Metal Stakes

5. Use a screwdriver to pry the hooks of the metal stakes open by placing the head of the screwdriver behind the hooks and pushing outward.

6. Place the chicken wire into the metal hooks, making sure the wire is positioned straight and flush against the ground.

7. Close the hooks over the wire by holding a sledgehammer behind the hooks and then hammering the hooks shut with a hammer. Repeat this process for each metal stake, keeping the chicken wire pulled taut as you do so.

Tips & Warnings

• Attach the chicken wire more firmly by looping tent stakes through the bottom of the chicken wire and then pounding the tent stakes into the ground.
• Loosely attached chicken wire will not be effective.

References

• Happy Living: How to Install Garden Fencing
• Homestead Fencing Basics