americana chicken

[WBJ82]

Hello. I am considering buying to Americana hens from someone at work. They are a year old. I live in
a subdivision with houses all around. I have a large backyard with a privacy fence about six feet high. I plan on clipping there wings but from what I have read here they still are very flighty. Do you think that will be enough to keep the chickens in my yard or should I look for another breed. Any and all info will be helpful. Thanks.

 

[americana-lover]

I have 5 Americanas, and only 2 of them are mildly flighty. They dont even fly really, just jump and flap their wings, like they hope it'll make a difference, but it wont. I think a 6 ft high fence will be tall enough so they wont escape

 

[WBJ82]

Thanks for the info. I plan on building a coup a foot or so off the ground and having a ramp so they can come and go as they please. They will have free range of the backyard. I've been having issues with mole crickets killing my grass so I think the two chinkens will handle them and any other insects, plus free eggs will be nice too. I would love to have a rooster as well but I don't think the neighbors would like it to much when it crows. We also have a Yorkie who hangs out in the backyard sometimes and I don't know how she will react to the new arrivals but I figure with the hens being a year old there prob as big as she is. My coup is going to basicly be a rectangle a foot off the ground with a hole cut out so the chickens can enter and exit. The top will be able to open for cleaning and egg removal. What is a good bedding to use and what do I need to put inside for the hen to lay eggs on.