I had 4 foot wire to begin with and some of the chickens were flying over it. I tore it all down last summer and expanded the pen around the run and coop to 100 feet by 40 feet with 5 foot wire and I haven't had a chicken out since. My wire is 12 gage wire 2x4 inch welded wire and a 100 foot long roll of 5 foot high wire is about $60. Be careful of 'bargain' wire because if it's too small of a gage wire, it can be torn to pieces just like chicken wire. Also, there has been a problem of some of the wire fencing that the box stores have been carrying coming apart (welds breaking).You're more than welcome! We finished the fence today & my EE has already flown over it.She just flies out & in at will, but I had SOME hope the 4' would stop it. Oh well......![]()
Yes, chickens can be replaced when they come up missing but when you have over $300 in 4 chickens with the cost of heritage breeds, the shipping boxes and shipping costs, and it's not of unheard of to lose a whole flock in the period of a few nights, it's an unnecessary expense when better wire could have been used not to mention the fact that it puts the egg laying program back about 6 months. I met a guy last summer at a BBQ who lost his first 50 chickens in the period of one week. Who needs that kind of cost of doing business?