Fence sitting

[crooked stripe]

Anyone have a good and cheep way keeping their chickens from sitting on the fence. My run has a 4' fence that contains the flock and for some reason they like to sit there. From time to time a couple jump out and the only way I have getting them in is throwing scratch in the run then hold open the gate for them to walk back in. I tried a wire along the top a few inches above the fence and they manage to miss that when they land. Clipping the wing hasn't helped either. I am lost and out of ideas. Please help. John

 

[Ridgerunner]

They do like to perch. If the top of your fence is a rail or something it looks like they could perch on, they'll fly up there just to perch. As you said, they sometimes come down on the wrong side and don't know enough to get back in the way they got out.

Mine was 5' high and they were just flying over it to get out. I took some fairly stiff welded wire fencing and attached it to the top of the fence so it stood up a few feet. I had 5' high fencing so that's what I used.

I attached the bottom of the stiff fencing about 18" below the top of the existing fence ands again at the top of the fence. The wire was stiff enough to stand in its own. This raised the overall height of the fence from 5' to 8-1/2' and they quit flying out.

I attached it with J-clips, but you can use hog rings or just tie it with wire.

I'd think if you go up just a foot or so where they can't perch it should stop them from flying up there. It doesn't look as bad as you might envision once its done.