Alternative to electric net fencing

[Tuesdaysw]

I want my chickens to till up (eat all the grass) a section of my lawn which I will be using for more garden space next spring. They are free range, and although I do have a chicken tracor, it would be too small and it is too cold to cover the large area effectively right now. Ideally, I would throw up some electic net fencing on the warm days and lure a few hens in there to work.
But I don't want to shell out the $300, and am looking for suggestions of alternative ways to put my chickens to work where I want them. My concern is not predators, it is keeping the chickens where I need them. I read where a person used one single strand of wire 5-6 inches off the ground effectively, but I am skeptical as my hens fly over/roost on 4 foot high fences surounding their coop. Anybody have any suggestions? I am physicaly fit but poor, so keep that in mind PS my boyfriend has a lot of fencing supplies for cows that I can borrow

Thank you all!

 

[MedChicken]

I used plastic netting and fence stakes to make a mini-run for my girls when I needed to keep them out of the main yard for a while. Here are links to the basic type of stuff that I used.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_92064-16418...urrentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=fence+post&facetInfo=

http://www.lowes.com/pd_157766-1311...br|0||p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=

It's quick to set up and portable. There are also taller versions of these products. I clip my hens' wings (every so often they get adventurous and try to visit the neighbors over the 6' fence), and while they can still get out of this 4' pen, they only do it when a predator (or dog) gets in there with them. My three hens cleared everything green off a circular area enclosed by the 50 ft of fencing in a few weeks. If you have more hens (or supplement with less commercial feed that I did), I imagine it would go faster

Good luck!