Fencing in the chickens

[Chickengene]

My better half got the scare today.
Turned the ladies out 6:am this morning as usual, but today both the wife and I had to leave to get some bidneth taken care of.
Few hours later we pull in the drive and the chickens, that would normally come running to meet my wife's truck, were nowhere to be found.
She walked all over the six acres calling and shaking the snack container. Nothing.
Finally, sister living next door has spotted them on a ridge a half mile away, working over o large downed tree.
Got orders to add a couple more strands to the electric fence on there sides.
Hopefully that won't make them more interested in crossing the rode.

 

[sassysarah]

Lol! That's a far way from home! Good luck keeping them in their pen!
Let us know of they get out again.

 

[aart]

Got orders to add a couple more strands to the electric fence on there sides

Strands of Ewire will keep chicken contained?
Guessing predator scare got them running for that hill.

 

[Chickengene]

Strands of Ewire will keep chicken contained?
Guessing predator scare got them running for that hill.

No predators, just gluttony.
I have been told an E-wire about four inches and ten inches above ground will contain them. Not sure if it is the
E in the wire, or just the wire, since I have seen them drag a low hanging strand across their tails.

 

[aart]

No predators, just gluttony.

Half mile is pretty far to go for food

 

[Chickengene]

I think they are getting a bit too comfortable with the free range ideal.
However I remember as a teenager on first leave out of bootcamp I went to see an uncle in KY. He had a lot of chickens.
His farm was in a dead end "holler surrounded by pretty high cliffs.that you had to follow a trail from his parking spot down the cliff to the farm.
The first evening I saw "large rocks" falling from one of the cliffs .
But after watching for a few minutes, I realized they were some of his chickens diving off this really high cliff, heading home to roost.
At that distance they looked like rocks. The fact they pretty much fly like rocks didn't help much either.
Sorry, kinda got lost in a fond memory there.
Said all that just to say it was probably a good mile they wanderd to get to the ridge.

 

[Norcal527]

Be careful of the fence voltage. I've lost my favorite hen to an electric fence. Just something to think about. Good luck.

 

[CaramelKittey]

I use a 6ft chain link fence to keep my girls contained. A few learned to jump over it and eat my garden. We clipped their wings so they stayed in their yard. To prevent predators from coming into the coop, and a strong sturdy chicken-safe fencing, I use hardware cloth. It’s a metal mesh with tiny squares that a predator can’t break.

Hope your flock stays closer!