Coop Help Needed- Fencing Ideas-Please!!!

[SoccerMomof7]

Okay how high do I need the fence to be from my chickens. They are just chicks now so I don't know how high it would need to be. Also what is the most inexpensive way to fence in an outside area? I thought we were going to have the money to do 6 ft wood fencing but things come up like always, so now I need an idea for a cheap temporary fence until we get the wood one up.

 

[wynedot55]

you want your run fence atlest 4ft tall.an prolly 5ft tall.depending on how tall they have rolls of wire.as you can clipps the hens wings to keep them from flying over the fence.

 

[patandchickens]

Remember a fence usually has to do 2 things: keep chickens in, and keep predators out.

With clipped wings and unmotivated chickens, 4' may be high enough (though you need to make real sure they can't hop/flap up onto an object such as the coop and from there over the fence, using the object as a 'step stool').

But *nothing* open-topped is going to be particularly predator-safe. Even in cities there are raccoons and dogs, and often some hawks. Just something to take into account...

Good luck,

Pat

 

[morelcabin]

We just used 2x4's and chicken wire for ours, and put a bird netting on top to keep chickens in.

 

[SoccerMomof7]

Quote:
I think that is something like we are going to do.

 

[Davaroo]

I use a standard five foot height. SO far no problems and I feel that is a good place to start. I keep their wings clipped and plenty of shrubbery for them to shelter under.

DO be careful to keep anything from the edge of the fence that they can hop onto. Chickens are amazing escape artists and a fence is merely an obstacle to them.

 

[spook]

Last summer we used snow fence (that ugly orange) went around the yard, used 3' high nearer the yard with no problems...this year we had to build Fort Knox! We used 6' high chick wire, tied rope to the roof of the hen house to the wire placing the "fruit tree" netting and clothes pins to hold it above our heads. This of course was the chickens with both clipped wings still flying over the fence. Goooood Greif these girls are simply entertaining. Wish we could give them the free range like last year, yet they cannot be trusted, nor the fox, weasles, Bald Eagle, Osprey or cars. Oh, and around the bottom of the fence, we cut down a tree last winter, I stapled the bottom of the fence to the logs. Good luck and soon YOU TOO will be an expert-but only for these birds!

 

[SoccerMomof7]

Thanks very much, 3 of my birds are 6 weeks old and are needing some outside play time. I wish I could let them free range also but I live in town, and even though I have plenty of area for them to roam they will probley still end up in the neighbors yard!

 

[LynneP]

And be sure to check the Pests and Predators section, as Pat says, keeping the bad things out is harder than keeping your chickens in.

 

[Chirpy]

Chicken wire is only made to keep chickens in... it will not keep predators out.

Thus, if you have dogs, raccoons, fox, etc. that might get into your yard and to your chicken run... you need to go with something more substantial. Welded wire is great (more expensive) and then you would want to put 1" chicken wire around the bottom 2 feet of it and bury that down into the ground at least 15 inches so nothing digs underneath.

You mentioned using wood as your fence? Are you thinking of making their run with it, like a privacy fence? I think you'd regret that because you can't watch your chickens through it!! And most of us find that we love to watch our chickens from the house or other parts of the yard!