The Fence Post

Have you ever needed a truly heavy gauge chicken wire?

Do you want something stronger than 20 gauge galvanized before weave chicken wire fencing?

Are you frustrated by how quickly GBW hex mesh rusts and needs to be replaced? There's an alternative:

Galvanized After Weave Chicken Wire Fence: 18 gauge, 1" Hexagonal Mesh 

Made by Keystone Steel and Wire in Peoria, Illinois, this "saltwater netting" is woven from heavy 18 gauge wire. 18 gauge wire is more than 30% heavier than the 20 gauge chicken wire available in your local retail store. After the wire is woven into a hexagonal mesh with 1" openings, it is passed through a bath of molten zinc. It emerges with thick, durable rust and corrosion-resistant galvanized after weave (GAW) finish. The wires are thoroughly coated, including the twisted areas that tend to hold moisture.

Heavy chicken wire fence is available in 150' rolls. Widths are 36", 48" and 72". This mesh, designed for use in saltwater, will last for many, many years.

Excellent for:

• Poultry runs
• Garden fence
• Game bird pens
• Saltwater applications, such as crab pots
  

18 gauge heavy hex wire is a great option and if you want a chicken wire fence that will withstand the test of time, consider this product.

With Extensive Benefits:

• Initial higher cost is offset by the longer lifetime of the wire.
  
• Stronger, heavier wire will stand up longer to normal wear and tear.
• Frequency of repair and replacement is reduced.
• Heavy galvanization assures robust protection against rust and corrosion.

Have you ever had the opportunity to try GAW chicken wire fence?

Do you think it makes sense to pay more initially to avoid the cost and labor of repair and replacement?

Same Song, Four Versions

Have a listen to a few golden oldies. Well, two more golden than the others. Here are four renditions of the song "Don't Fence Me In." The first, written by Cole Porter and Robert Fletcher in 1934 and sung by Gene Autry, the second is sung by Bing Crosby with the Andrews Sisters, the third is performed by David Byrne and the Talking Heads, and the last is performed by Willie Nelson and Leon Russell.

And now, a bit of an update--

Any preferences of one version over the others? Are there other interpretations that you like better?

Now, moving a little further afield--

According to Lockheed Martin:

"Low-earth orbit is crowded with active satellites and thousands of pieces of debris due to collisions and deterioration of defunct satellites and rocket boosters. Traveling at speeds upwards of 15,000 mph, that debris threatens not only commercial satellites, which we depend on for everything from weather forecasting, banking, global communications and GPS navigation, but also military assets that help monitor and protect nations around the world."

Chicken Wire in Production   

The video below shows how chicken wire mesh is woven. You can see how the wires are twisted together to make a hexagonal opening. Chicken wire is also known as poultry netting or hexagonal netting.

The Continuous Weave Creates Inherent Strength

This particular machine is weaving mesh used in making gabions. Although the mesh is larger (3") and the wires used are heavier (11 gauge and heavier) than the chicken wire you can buy at your local store, the manufacturing process is similar.

There is one difference. This machine is doing continuous weave -  the twisted wires run in the same direction the entire length of the twist. Chicken wire available in stores is made with a reverse twist - the twist switches direction (reverses itself) halfway through the length of the twist. Continuous weave is inherently stronger than reverse twist. Good to know.

Is this the first time you have seen a loom weaving chicken wire?

Increasing Blueberry Yield

The 8' fence, angled to the outside of the blueberry patch, is easy to build and easy to move. Simple in design, this deer fence uses seven strands of wire.

And it cost him ¢.40 per foot to build!

Prior to building the fence, the patch typically yielded 3,500 pounds of berries. The season after he built the fence, the yield was up to 14,000 pounds!  Joe Wave of Wave's U-Pick Blueberries in Kaleva, Michigan talks about his innovative deer fence: