Free Ranging My Chickens and Fence Height

[Philipwicker]

I'm currently in the process of raising 12 chicks. I have a 4x10 tractor setup, which I've already been warned about raising in that size tractor, however, I have a fenced in yard...about 1/4 of an acre. I'm new to this and was curious if I'll be able to partially free range my chickens in the yard with a chain link fence that is 4 feet tall. The last thing I want is to be chasing chickens through my neighbors yard. There's no predators such as dogs in my yard that pose any threat...just wondering about that fence height if it will be tall enough.

 

[Ga Boy]

Their is more predators than you know. Where my moms lives their are Chickens running around were someone got them and let them run free. And their is less and less of them every time we go up. You can give them Freedom or you can Protect them. A cat, or raccoon could make it over. Hawks fly in and take them out. And don't forget the that boy down the road who loves to see if he could hit one with a rock.

 

[Too Fast]

What I've learned is it depends on the type of chicken. For instance, leghorns are known as a flighty bird, and will easily fly over a 4 foot fence if spooked. Other, calmer types, it'd probably be no problem. They do want to come back to thier roost at night, so if they know for sure where that is, you shouldn't have a problem. We will let ours free range a bit, our fence is about 3.5 feet tall.

But like Ga Boy said, there are more predators out there than you think. Racoons are the number one problem, but that is almost always at night, so make sure the coop is totally secure.

 

[Going Quackers]

It's tricky, i have watched mine get right up the top of their run which is an old dog run so well into 10ft high, they flutter to quite the heights sometimes.

What the rest say is true, you only find out what predators you have after you get something that they want! I have a 4ft chain link fenced area here it's for the dogs but i wouldn't trust my girls in it, they are again in a dog run, fully enclosed, top wired and wood framed. I free range my ducks but the chickens are noisy and flighty and would attract a lot of attention for me to feel safe with them loose without supervision.

Even my dogs who are actually really good with the ducks get all kinds of stupid around the chickens... they just have a different way about them that is more enticing.

 

[1cityslicker]

Depending on the breeds you have I would say that 4ft will not work. Our birds would fly right over our 4ft makeshift fence to our garden like it wasn't even there. I eventually built an enclosed run, 30x30 with 5ft farm fence, treated posts, and netting over the top. The net was the trick. Little buggers - I win!

 

[arcatamarcia]

My back yard was subdivided with a four foot fence. The girls had no problem going over that fence. When they discovered the garden on the other side, there was no way I could keep them from flying over until I made the fence taller. And I have some calm, heavy bodied birds. The entire yard is surrounded by a 6 foot fence and they've never gone over that.

 

[Too Fast]

Depending on the breeds you have I would say that 4ft will not work. Our birds would fly right over our 4ft makeshift fence to our garden like it wasn't even there. I eventually built an enclosed run, 30x30 with 5ft farm fence, treated posts, and netting over the top. The net was the trick. Little buggers - I win!

Ha ha. I win, FTW!

My back yard was subdivided with a four foot fence. The girls had no problem going over that fence. When they discovered the garden on the other side, there was no way I could keep them from flying over until I made the fence taller. And I have some calm, heavy bodied birds. The entire yard is surrounded by a 6 foot fence and they've never gone over that.

"When they discovered the garden on the other side" I bet your neighbors were delighted to have chickens over. They may have been thinking "if this keeps up we're having chicken salad."