Any success using bird spikes on fence to keep chickens in?

[Frankie619]

We let our chickens run around out of their coop in the back yard when we are home. They are 18 weeks old. Their new thing is to hang out on the fence! We live in a neighborhood with busy streets, and we certainly do not want to go chasing after them outside of our yard. Has anyone tried using bird spikes? I saw lots of posts about electric fences, but we cannot do that. I thought these (https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0019F8IX6) may work. Thank you for any tips!

 

[Ridgerunner]

What happens when you have a solid top on your fence where the bird can perch, they will often fly up there just because it is fun to perch. They can hop down on either side. What you want is the top of your fence to not look like a good place to perch.

I don’t know how expensive they are but those spikes should work. You could also get some wire with a little stiffness, (chicken wire, hardware cloth, or 2”x4” welded wire) and attach it to the top of your fence so it stands a few inches above the top. That way it is not a good place for them to perch.

I’ve done that. Attach wire right at the top and about a foot down from the top, leaving wire sticking up. From even a short distance it doesn’t look bad at all and it works.

 

[Lynnski]

Hi Frankie, we just went through the same thing this week with our 20 week old girls! I thought for sure the 6' fence would be too high for them!

Just like Ridgerunner says, if they think they can land on it, they will try... I also like his idea about the wire for your fence. My fence is vinyl so we used rope and it has worked like a charm!

Let us know what works for you!

 

[Farmer Fowler]

Why don't you just crop one wing? This is the age-old method that has worked for thousands of years to keep chickens from roosting in trees and off fences. I'm certain there are YouTube videos out there and countless articles on how to do it. It doesn't hurt them and it keeps them in the protected space that you've provided for them.