Most chickens can clear a very high fence if they want to but many people are successful keeping them in with 4’ fences. Why might they want to get out?
Chickens love to perch on things up in the air. If the top of your fence gives them a solid place to stand on, they are highly likely to want to fly up there and perch even if it is much higher than four feet. Then they just might hop down on either side of the fence. They generally can’t figure out top get back in the way they got out.
A chicken may scale a fence if another chicken is after them and they are trapped in a corner or against the fence. They go vertical to get away and just might land on the other side of the fence. They don’t necessarily have to fly to do this. They can sort of walk up a fence while flapping their wings and climb over.
This can happen if a hen is trying to get away from an amorous rooster or the chickens are in a pecking order or a flock dominance fight. This happens with mine when they hit puberty. It’s practically always cockerels that go over the fence to get away from another cockerel. Sometimes the old rooster chases a cockerel when that cockerel starts messing with his hens.
Once they are out they generally want back in. They are flock animals and usually don’t like being by themselves. One time many years back I had some hens that learned they could get over a 5’ high fence if they wanted to while avoiding an amorous rooster. Three of them then started getting out just because they could. They’d roam everywhere together until it was time to go to roost at night. Then they wanted back in. That’s the only time I’ve had chickens learn they could get out or even want to.
What can you do? It sounds like this one does not apply to you, but try to have an open fenced area. You can’t avoid corners but try to avoid narrow spots where they might get trapped. If you have an option a wide open run is better than a long narrow one. I use 4’ high electric netting and the incidence of my juvenile cockerels flying the fence went way down when I figured this out.
You can try clipping wings. I’m not going to enter the one wing versus two wings debate. I’ve never clipped wings. Try clipping one wing. If that doesn’t help, try clipping the other also. See if that is any better. The feathers will not grow back until the next time they molt as long as you don’t pull the entire feather out, shaft and all.
I don’t know what your fence looks like except it sounds like it has a top rail. Someone has already mentioned this. I took some 5’ high 2x4 welded wire fencing and attached that to the top of my fence in an old run when those hens learned they could get out. That fence is stiff enough to support itself. I extended it three feet above the top of my fence and attached it at the top of the existing fence. Then I attached it two feet lower down. I used J-Clips but you can use hog rings or just tie it with wire. Zip ties would probably work too though I’m not sure how long they would last. They might be a good installation aid to help you get it into position.
There are probably other things you can try but I can’t think of any. Good luck with it.
Chickens love to perch on things up in the air. If the top of your fence gives them a solid place to stand on, they are highly likely to want to fly up there and perch even if it is much higher than four feet. Then they just might hop down on either side of the fence. They generally can’t figure out top get back in the way they got out.
A chicken may scale a fence if another chicken is after them and they are trapped in a corner or against the fence. They go vertical to get away and just might land on the other side of the fence. They don’t necessarily have to fly to do this. They can sort of walk up a fence while flapping their wings and climb over.
This can happen if a hen is trying to get away from an amorous rooster or the chickens are in a pecking order or a flock dominance fight. This happens with mine when they hit puberty. It’s practically always cockerels that go over the fence to get away from another cockerel. Sometimes the old rooster chases a cockerel when that cockerel starts messing with his hens.
Once they are out they generally want back in. They are flock animals and usually don’t like being by themselves. One time many years back I had some hens that learned they could get over a 5’ high fence if they wanted to while avoiding an amorous rooster. Three of them then started getting out just because they could. They’d roam everywhere together until it was time to go to roost at night. Then they wanted back in. That’s the only time I’ve had chickens learn they could get out or even want to.
What can you do? It sounds like this one does not apply to you, but try to have an open fenced area. You can’t avoid corners but try to avoid narrow spots where they might get trapped. If you have an option a wide open run is better than a long narrow one. I use 4’ high electric netting and the incidence of my juvenile cockerels flying the fence went way down when I figured this out.
You can try clipping wings. I’m not going to enter the one wing versus two wings debate. I’ve never clipped wings. Try clipping one wing. If that doesn’t help, try clipping the other also. See if that is any better. The feathers will not grow back until the next time they molt as long as you don’t pull the entire feather out, shaft and all.
I don’t know what your fence looks like except it sounds like it has a top rail. Someone has already mentioned this. I took some 5’ high 2x4 welded wire fencing and attached that to the top of my fence in an old run when those hens learned they could get out. That fence is stiff enough to support itself. I extended it three feet above the top of my fence and attached it at the top of the existing fence. Then I attached it two feet lower down. I used J-Clips but you can use hog rings or just tie it with wire. Zip ties would probably work too though I’m not sure how long they would last. They might be a good installation aid to help you get it into position.
There are probably other things you can try but I can’t think of any. Good luck with it.
