Building coop/run

[OregonFarmLife93]

Hey everyone!

I'm looking to start building my chicken coop and run! I'm trying to decide how tall I should make my fence for the chicken run. I plan on clipping their wings so they can't fly out. (I like right next to a busy road and river). I was thinking at least 4' tall. But would 3' tall be tall enough?

 

[Chickenman MAN]

NOPE! 3 feet tall is way too low. It needs to be at least 6 feet with a curved over bit at top and rubble in a trench at the bottom to stop predators. 3-4 feet is easy for a fox or anything else really

 

[BaaKaaawk]

If they wanted to, wings clipped or not, they can jump right over that 4'. The main thing is they need a place to land on top of the fence (they can't usually clear it, they are ground birds so they jump up to it and then down from it). But you would *probably* be ok with a 4' fence and clipped wings. 3' they can jump no problem.

 

[aart]

Hey everyone!

I'm looking to start building my chicken coop and run! I'm trying to decide how tall I should make my fence for the chicken run. I plan on clipping their wings so they can't fly out. (I like right next to a busy road and river). I was thinking at least 4' tall. But would 3' tall be tall enough?

Make it tall enough for you to walk into, and put at least a mesh roof on it.
Anti-dig apron around bottom edge.
Good examples of anti-dig apron installation.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/wire-around-coop.1110498/#post-17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208

 

[rosemarythyme]

Make it tall enough for you to walk into, and put at least a mesh roof on it.
Anti-dig apron around bottom edge.

x2. Even if you don't plan on roofing/covering it now, building it so you have that option will save you a lot of work in the future in case you ever do change your mind.

 

[wamtazlady]

Young chickens can easily get out of a 4 foot fence even with clipped wings. I have seen them do it.

 

[OregonFarmLife93]

Thank you everyone! ❤

 

[BaaKaaawk]

Thank you everyone! ❤

Also- just for reference- chickens do have a pretty good inate ability to stay alive (except Silkies... smh). But the Road and the River- you're not going to find your chicken anywhere near the road, and likely not the river if you let them free range.

You do of course open up the predator problem- but unless your chickens are being chased by a predator, they're not going to get run over by a car or swept away downstream if you let them wander.