Chicken run

[msteele1953]

We just finished our coop and we plan on getting 3 hens for eggs. Just about everything I've read it is recommended we have a run for them as well. I know chickens can fly at least a little so my question is, how tall does the run fence need to be to keep the chickens in it?

 

[Pyxis]

!

You can clip their wings to keep them from flying out, or you could cover the run - this would have the added benefit of protecting them from aerial predators. Mine can easily clear a four foot fence if they want to, especially the lighter breeds like leghorns. You could try six feet but a determined hen may be able to clear even that.

 

[redsoxs]

X2 on what Pyxis said. I have some big bodied ladies that couldn't fly over a 4' fence..but I also have some agile girls that fly like bats! No fence would them. So I go the clip route. Good luck to you!

 

[Dmontgomery]

I had a hen a couple years ago who could actually climb the 8' fence to the top of the run and walk around up there. I've seen free range chickens hop/fly even higher than that to reach a tree branch. Put a roof over your run if you can.

 

[SueT]

You can cover it with bird netting or wildlife netting, sometimes called deer netting,which is a lightweight and inexpensive mesh fabric. it will keep chickens in and hawks out, but of course, it isn't going to keep out mammals. We've never had anything try to get thru our bird netting, tho. (Knock on wood.) We do close up our chickens at night.
edit I got a 100' X7' roll for $15 at Lowe's. I covered a 18' X24' run in about an hour.

 

[MandalaMaMa]

Another thing to think about is do you want to be able to walk around in the run? When I built mine I wanted to be able to go inside to maintain it. Just something to think about.

 

[msteele1953]

We are having a problem with one of our hens. She is bent over and her tail feathers drag on the ground while her sister stands upright with the tail up. This is something new. Any ideas?

 

[SueT]

We are having a problem with one of our hens. She is bent over and her tail feathers drag on the ground while her sister stands upright with the tail up. This is something new. Any ideas?

Repost this under "Emergencies, Diseases..." forum, and someone will find it and advise you....