How tall for my new garden fence??

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Firemenlovechicks

Firemenlovechicks

Songster
10 Years
Jan 5, 2010
178
4
113
Medina, TN (near Jackson)
Hi all,

I am going to fence off my garden this year since I am going with a more sustainable flock. (I have always done the Cornish X's, but this year I am raising dark cornish and white Rocks, along with a few remaining layers of mixed breed)

I have always kept them penned up, except for an hour or two during the afternoon a couple of times a week when I let them out to graze. I intend to let them out ALOT more this year to help combat the bugs and help with feed costs.

I have a big garden, just over 1/4 acre........ I plan to fence it with 3' tall standard fence wire.... do I need to go taller? my thoughts are that they have all this room to roam, will they REALLY want to go OVER the fence all the time to get to the garden when they have the entire countryside to roam?

Just trying to decide if I need to go taller with the fence or use something like poultry netting. Or..... am I wasting my time?

Thanks !

Jeff
 
3' fencing will be just fine especially with the heavier less flighty breeds. I have some 3' sections around my garden, but also some 1 1/2' to make some parts more easily accessible. My free rangers never mess with the garden. Usually anything over 1 1/2' feet will deter them. It also helps to give them more enticing spots also like maybe a bed of mulch(4'x4' or 8'x8') which will certainly occupy them if you just brush the mulch back in every once and a while.
 
3 foot fences will only keep the heavy breeds out, and that is once they are mature. When they're younger, they can fly easily up to 4 or 5 feet. Any lighter breeds, straight layers or any bantam breeds (other than silkies, that is) can fly up high quite well.

The mulch bed "just for the chickens" sounds like a great idea, especially if it's close to their home base - the coop - and the garden is some distance away.
 
Thanks for the replies. I knew that they could get over the fence........ I was just curious if anybody thought it would be a big problem given that they have so much other room to roam. I will give them a mulch bed close to the coop...... That is a great idea! Thanks, y'all!

Jeff
 
i use a 16" fence to keep my chooks out of the flower beds etc... for my birds its seems the optimal height along with not being able to land on top. I find that that is a big thing. If they cant land on it, they dont seem to fly up on it or over it. Thats my expierence
 
I have used anywhere from 2 feet to 4 feet.Whatever I could get on sale.Rarely have they gotten in.Usually they go under. If I am yelling at them they might try to fly over a fence.Plastic fence with some bamboo poles and zip ties worked well for me.
 
If they are motivated, with unclipped wings, some the high flyers will go right over a 6' fence.

That said, most will have little inclination to extend the energy to do so. I'd be a little concerned about a 3' fence. Here's Speckled Sussex Rooster sitting on top of our 6' fence. Wasn't even a challenge for him.


 
Our's is 5' with two strands of barbed wire for a total 6'6". More for deer than chickens. Heavy breeds don't seem to want to attempt the jump. But I sometimes forget to clost the gate.
 
Fred, your hen in your avitar looks like my Rouge Hen - Queen Bee, she is the one that flies over the 5 ft fence to lay eggs in the neighbor's weeds.

I bought 3 ft fencing, and 3 foot netting to attach above that, to keep my 3 remaining flying hens out of my garden.
 

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