"Chicken Area" Fence Height?

[Chickiee]

Any suggestions on what height fencing to put around the chicken area and coop? Good height to keep predators (especially coyotes and random neighbor farm cats) out and chickens in? We don't want to lose anyone!
Thanks!

 

[Tressa27884]

Mine is about eight feet tall and has a roof. You want to make sure it's tall enough for you to walk into comfortably. The material you use is more important than the height to keep things out. IME if the chickens want to they can figure out away to get to the top of the fence line. If you're building from scratch make sure you bury the walls so that nobody can dig under easily.

 

[yellowirenut]

i suggest something you can comfortable walk into.

I made the mistake with my first only being 3 ft tall "how often would i need in there anyways" 1-2 times a week it turns out.

Dog kennel height is good.

 

[blueferral]

I put a two foot fence around my garden. The girls have not figured out they can fly over it. They try like the dickens to go through and under it. They want those strawberries!

 

[allpeepedout]

Mine have a covered run, but I plan to fence adjacent paddocks. I bought 5-ft. welded wire for that but plan to extend above that with deer and/or poultry netting. I probably will run a couple of strands of electric around the base of that. I figure I'll need to experiment and adjust. Someone on BYC posted a great idea for creating very tall "invisible" fences for relatively low cost, by fastening a second post to one set into the ground to gain extra height, and then hooking netting on simple hooks at the tops of the second posts. Not sure of the materials but I hope to do something similar, but more substantial closer to earth.

I think the right height depends on your specific situation, the breed of chickens you have (how flighty), whether you clip wings, how catastrophic would be an escape, etc. I have a couple of wild-type Easter Eggers who can easily pop up 6 ft. I'd like to add more flighty laying birds but not sure how to keep them in, as have trees and roofs also accessible.

 

[redhen689]

I know someone who had to clip thier chicken's wings to prevent them from flying over a 5 ft high fence.

 

[ThinkingChickens]

My Harriet, RIR, goes right over a six foot fence no problem. Her sisters are apt to follow her. We have an 8' walk in run with a roof, but when they are out they can and do get out.

 

[chikinfarmr]

tall enough to walk in. I use 2x4 fence with chicken wire 3 feet up too. I have to cover the top of the run (hawks). I don't clip wings. I want them to be able to fly to get away from predators when they are out.

 

[Daisy8s]

For predator protection consider covering the top of the run, no matter how high the fence is. I lost a hen to a hawk right out of the run.

And, if you really, really want to be sure your chickens will stay in it needs to be covered also. But, it all depends on the individual bird. I have a huge Light Brahma that regularly flies over the fence while my bitty Sumatran bantam, who I've seen fly a distance of 30 feet at a height of 20 feet when scared, has NEVER flown over my 4 ft fence and instead waits patiently for me to open the gate so she can walk out.

Instead of keeping them in the run I let them range because there is a pine tree they regularly seek shelter under, and I added a rooster to give additional protection in the form of alarm calls. But, I know ranging is not an option for everyone.