Painting chicken wire

MrsM · **Joined:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:51 am **Posts:** 163

So my vegetable garden is fenced, the chook coop is up and I am about to add chicken wire along our fenceline to keep the chooks in as the fences here are a bit crap and back onto a rather steep creek bank. I havent started the fenceline yet but there is already a pretty decent amount of chicken wire in my yard and I as much as I cant wait to get chickens, they are coming at the expense of our yard looking a bit like a concentration camp

I have read that people paint their chicken wire, but which paint do you use? And how do you actually paint the wire? Just with a brush? Does it need a coat of something else before the paint so that the paint stays there for longer?

This is the garden fence (will probably paint this black, but undecided on that):

And in the background is part of the fenceline I need to wire.

Behind those trees there is a very dodgy fence and a steep drop down to a council creek. I was also going to increase the height of the nicer part of the fence behind the trampoline. So yeah, a lot of wire. Painting advice would be appreciated. (Might try and get a better photo of the whole area, too).

OakA · **Posted:** Fri Dec 02, 2011 7:17 am

No doubt with a Council creek area behind you will need to fence access by foxes from the reserve even in a built up suburban area.
As for painting wire I think that could be a very frustrating and messy undertaking.
I see you have lattice, why not raise fence lines where needed with lattice that can be easily painted to blend into the background or plant vine crops to utilise the vertical growing surface.
Where you do have to use wire why not screen it with suitable plantings of vines or hedge like shrubs.
The enclosed veg garden you could perhaps grow climbing peas or beans or just leave it as is to show off your handiwork.
Just some suggestions for your consideration.

MrsM · **Joined:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:51 am **Posts:** 163

^ And all of them good ones, thanks. I hadnt considered fencing with anything other than chicken wire, but I already have a huge roll of it so I should probably use that. Eventually I would like to get proper fencing put in, but that will have to wait a few years. I know painting the wire would be an equally frustrating and ridiculous task but if its going to be there for a while I think it would make the yard look a lot nicer. That piece of lattice is the only piece we have (we just moved here a couple of months ago, and that was in the garden).

Trinity · **Joined:** Fri Dec 02, 2011 3:40 pm **Posts:** 1

Actually its easy to paint the wire I used a roller and black chalk paint with just a little paint on the roller and it was quick and easy

MrsM · **Joined:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:51 am **Posts:** 163

Awesome, thanks Trinity

Australian · **Joined:** Mon Sep 12, 2011 2:40 pm **Posts:** 14

If you use the enamel flat black it will last years unlike the chalk paint that you may get 2 years just saves redoing it anytime soon

MrsM · **Joined:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:51 am **Posts:** 163

I ended up painting the veggie garden fence with enamel paint for metal, tinted green. I used a roller as Trinity suggested and it was very, very easy to do. It was blistering hot the day I did it, and after about 5 minutes I started to wonder why I bothered, but the results are fantastic. From a distance the chicken wire is far less noticable, so I am very glad I did it.

SkyintheWest · **Joined:** Fri Dec 30, 2011 3:35 pm **Posts:** 1

Do you paint both side of the wire

MrsM · **Joined:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:51 am **Posts:** 163

SkyintheWest wrote:

Do you paint both side of the wire

I dont know what anyone else has done, but I only painted the side of the wire that will be seen by people. I found that a fair bit of the paint coated the other side of the wire that I was painting, but it wasnt a very thorough coat. I painted all 4 sides of the garden wire on the inside, but only the outer 3 sides that can be seen. The back wire that faces the property fence never got a look in

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