Height of fence in run

[Angiebubs]

Hi!
I am finishing up a "run" for my chickens (along with the coop), and have questions about fence height. We are just finishing up a 5 foot, 2x4 welded fence (14 gauge). However, we buried about 3-4 inches as well...so its slighlty under 5 ft. We will be putting out barred rock (height is fine for them right?) plus 2 cochin bantys, 1 polish top hate, and 2 dorking mixes. Will the 5 ft fence be high enough? We are fencing in aprox 35 x 20 next to the barn we are partially converting into a coop. Any suggestions if this isnt high enough, how to "Add on" some height?

Also, any suggestions of what to plant in the run to offer both protection and some beauty?

 

[TigerLilly]

I'd say it depends on whether or not you plan on walking around inside the run as to how high it needs to be. Mine is 6 ft & covered--something else you need to consider. Unless you're clipping wings, they can fly out...also, predators can get in.

 

[Nicole01]

Ours is 5ft and I wish it was a foot taller, so I could stand straight up inside for easier cleaning and visiting the girls.

 

[RCMomto4]

We have a good 5 and a half foot fence and once they were full grown they were flying out of it all day long. We ended up having to net the whole thing to keep them in and hawks out. It's not the prettiest thing but it does the job. We did make it tall enough so we didn't have to hunch over while in the run.

 

[Angiebubs]

So....this run was my attempt at "free ranging" them with some protection. Its taken a lot of arm twisting for my better half to help me get it to this point. (he seems to think 5 ft is tall enough) And no we were not planning on covering it. Just letting them out when I am home and with them in the yard. As far as covering it, its kind of right out in our front/side yard and would be a huge eye sore. Not sure what to do at this point. I will try to get some pics this weekend and upload.

 

[nincomcoop]

Quote:
Just clip a wing and they should not be able to fly out.

 

[Angiebubs]

If I clip a wing, will it make them more suseptible to predators? Im so scared and dreading the day, they have to go out to the "big coop" from the brooder. (these ARE my babies) I mentioned investigating buying a baby monitor for the first week or so so I could hear if they were scared/startled or anything was snooping around at night-kinda was laughed at

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

Mine are 6' high and if I had it to do all over again they would be 7'. After adding sand and pine straw I now have to crook my neck(or hit the noggin...lol)to walk around or do chores in the runs. I'm actually thinking jacking up the enclosures and putting up a block wall under it(2 or 3 blocks high).

 

[Honeysucklefeathers]

Mine are 8 ft and without a cover or clipping wings the BR's can fly out. Probably have to put some sort of top on it. It's nice to be able to walk around inside it too.

 

[quietlyscheming]

Now I'm super paranoid. I'm currently converting an old kids playhouse into a coop (Playhouse Coop Conversion ). My North fence is only 5ft tall! Not to mention, the playhouse roof is only 5ft at it's lowest point and only 2 1/2ft from my west fence. The west fence is 6ft tall but the playhouse peaks up to 6ft in the middle (See Photo). I have no intention of covering the area since it's a pretty big area .

I had planned on clipping their wings to keep them in the run but will that be enough to keep them in?? Also do you clip both sides or just one? It's pretty important I keep em in their run since I have a lab in my yard plus my neighbors, on the other side of my west fence, have dogs as well.

If I need to re-fence my northside with higher fencing I will, I just don't want to lose any hens because I thought it was good enough.