"Don't Fence Me In"

[chad]

We're thinking of putting our chicken coop inside my sheep pasture fencing. (Losses from coyotes were too high last year.) I've heard that a chicken won't fly over a fence that she can seethrough. Does anybody know if this is true, i.e., can we expect our hens to fly over sheep fencing? Because if they will the whole exercise is kind of pointless, innit?

 

[Charlie Chicken]

I can't imagine where that story ever came from because a chicken will fly over any fence whether they can see through it or not. Heavy breeds would be limited in how high they can go while lighter breeds can of course fly much higher.

If the fence isn't high enough for any particular breed about the only way to keep them in would be to either cover the fenced area or to clip their wings. That does work for a time but as the feathers grow back they must be clipped again.

The Polish rooster in my avitar can fly over a six foot fence like it wasn't even there! The fact that he can see through the fence only encourages him because he can see all the neat stuff that goes on outside the fence.

 

[Charlie Chicken]

And here is our friend Mr. Polish enjoying the view from the roof of his coop which has a six foot high fence for a chicken run.

 

[MandyH]

Get you some big fat cochins, they can't fly too high.

 

[silkiechicken]

I have a big fat cochin cross... I watched all 10.5 lbs of him clear a 5 foot tall fence... from standing...

I do believe that they will spend more time pacing back and fourth by a fence before they will jump out and over it when compared to a wood fence. That said, I have temp fencing up to keep birds on ground flattening duty, and some of the fence is 18 inches tall... and is enough to keep them mostly in...matter of fact, when they want out, they jump up 4-5 feet to the wood fence that is on one side of the fenced off area.

Keep them entertained inside the fence, and they will be less likely to leave. The fact that my adult birds are on the outside of the fence, probably impacts why they feel safer in the fence!

 

[chad]

Quote:

Hey, Charlie! We're neighbors! - Yeah, my birds would have no problem going over my 4 ft. sheep fence if they took the notion.

We now keep our Great Pyrenees dog in with the sheep and I think her presence - and ferocious roar - discourages the coyotes, who maybe don't grasp that she's behind fence and can't get at them. As an added bonus, she doesn't eat chickens any more (a bad habit of her younger days!), so it may all work out. Thanks everybody!

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
The good part would be that if they can fly over it to get out, they can fly over it to get back in too, so as long as they are close enough when something tries to get them they can get to safty, where if there is no fence between them and attackers there is no safty.