Chickens jumping over fence!

[3KillerBs]

That’s a good idea! We don’t handle him much, if at all. Is there a good way to catch him without freaking him out? (This is our first flock and they’re about 5 months old so very new to this!)

Wait until after dark, then grab him off the roost. He may freak out at first, but most chickens settle down fairly soon if you hold them securely but gently, and maybe talk softly to them.

Just what I was going to suggest -- taking him off the roost at night.

I find that they calm down nicely if you hold them like a football with the body on your arm and the head in your armpit.

It's easiest to do wing clipping with two people, a bird holder and a wing clipper, but you can do it yourself if you sit down with the bird on your lap.

 

[Kanekoded]

That’s a good idea! We don’t handle him much, if at all. Is there a good way to catch him without freaking him out? (This is our first flock and they’re about 5 months old so very new to this!)

If he's not used to being handled, he's going to freak out no matter what you do. Just lure him in with treats, then sneak attack him. It only takes a minute to clip his flight feathers. As for the tree, he'll be able to jump the branches with or without his flight feathers if the branches are close enough to the ground. You could try putting something around the base of the tree to prevent him from trying it. Maybe some chicken wire or netting?

 

[Mdavchicks]

Garden stakes stuck down thru the chainlink, then loosely attach chicken wire to stakes.
Or you could put string across the top 3-4 at 4-6" intervals to keep them from landing on top rail to go over.

Could you explain the string thing a bit? If there’s something to keep them from landing on the top I think that could really help.

 

[Mdavchicks]

Wait until after dark, then grab him off the roost. He may freak out at first, but most chickens settle down fairly soon if you hold them securely but gently, and maybe talk softly to them.

Then carry him somewhere with light, or have a headlamp on in the first place, and you can do wing-trimming or anything else you need to do.

Or to catch a chicken in the daytime, slowly shoo it into an enclosed space (fenced run with a roof, or coop, or something like that), then go in with the chicken and shut the door, then corner the chicken and grab it. Again, it will probably freak out briefly, but most chickens settle down fairly soon.

Thank you for this! We will give the night roosting a shot.

 

[Mdavchicks]

Just what I was going to suggest -- taking him off the roost at night.

I find that they calm down nicely if you hold them like a football with the body on your arm and the head in your armpit.

It's easiest to do wing clipping with two people, a bird holder and a wing clipper, but you can do it yourself if you sit down with the bird on your lap.

Thank you! I’ll have my husband hold him and I’ll do the wing clipping. And thanks for the tip about the head in the armpit.

 

[Mdavchicks]

If he's not used to being handled, he's going to freak out no matter what you do. Just lure him in with treats, then sneak attack him. It only takes a minute to clip his flight feathers. As for the tree, he'll be able to jump the branches with or without his flight feathers if the branches are close enough to the ground. You could try putting something around the base of the tree to prevent him from trying it. Maybe some chicken wire or netting?

That’s what I’m worried about, especially because our trees grow on angles not straight up and down. It’s easy for them to jump on the main trunk and just walk up :/

 

[aart]

Could you explain the string thing a bit? If there’s something to keep them from landing on the top I think that could really help.

Instead of attaching chicken wire to the stake, tie string between them.
Kinda of like this, but stakes sticking up straight a foot or so and string instead of barbed wire.

 

[Kanekoded]

That’s what I’m worried about, especially because our trees grow on angles not straight up and down. It’s easy for them to jump on the main trunk and just walk up :/

After clipping his wing, attach some chicken wire to the fence, then to a couple of posts (making a little yard around the tree), then to the fence on the other side of the tree...I find these to come in handy when I want to quickly fence off an area in my yard and they're fairly inexpensive:

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/studded-t-post-5-ft-125-lb-per-foot

 

[StinkyAcres]

Chickens usually won't jump a fence if there is no solid bar at the top. My fence is 3 feet high and my chickens don't jump it. They do hop over the gate, though, which is made of wood, so I added mesh above it and it keeps them in. Then again, I don't keep roosters.

 

[centrarchid]

My setup may be similar to @Mdavchicks' with multiple pastures and fencing that is at least 5' tall. The chickens are able to clear all fences when motivated. They are not trying to get past outer perimeter because I make so resources they need take them in other directions. I have so cover patches and feeding stations occupy more of the birds time. Additionally, the chickens are much less inclined to cross fencing when crops are full.