Help keeping my chickens in one place

[Thread-wing]

I love my free range chickens, but my wife loves her gardens, so we've come to the agreement to split our acre long yard down the middle, with my birds out back an her flowers closer to the house. Problem is, my hens are strong flyers, and can easily jump the five foot wooden fence dividing the yard. My wife doesn't want to raise the fence as she thinks it will look ugly, and I agree. I've tried clipping their wings, but they somehow still manage to get over.

Is there any other way to keep my black sexlinks on their side of the fence without raising it?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You could try an extension that angles in toward the hens at the top.
Then when your sex links need to be replaced, get a breed that can't or doesn't prefer to fly.
I had a Jersey Giant that knew there were tomatoes on the other side and would fly over a 5 foot fence.
I have Black Penedesencas that will stay inside a 2 foot fence.

 

[write2caroline]

I tried the route of getting heavier breeds that would not or could not jump fences. AND they did somehow...... Could you start them a compost pile full of wormies? Maybe if they find that the run is the place for all the good treats they will stay put and not want to wander into the flower garden. My chickens absolutely love scratching in the compost pile. They also like the flock block thingy and once in a while I put a buggy decomposing log in the run and they have fun with that. I also toss in berries that I find. Water melon, pumpkins - all good stuff that keeps them in the run and not out.

Caroline

 

[foreverlearning]

This is what I got: http://www.lowes.com/pd_376536-304-...3638362&Ntt=bird+netting&Ns=p_product_price|0
I put it at an angle coming inwards at the top of my fence. It it really strong and you can't see it unless you are real close. My birds learned by the second time of flying into it. They did not get caught or drop, they just bumped then flew down. That is why I like it so much.

 

[aart]

This is what I got: http://www.lowes.com/pd_376536-304-...3638362&Ntt=bird+netting&Ns=p_product_price|0
I put it at an angle coming inwards at the top of my fence. It it really strong and you can't see it unless you are real close. My birds learned by the second time of flying into it. They did not get caught or drop, they just bumped then flew down. That is why I like it so much.

How high of a extension did you add and how was it attached? Could you post a pic?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Mine were angled upward and inward at the top of the existing fence. It was just 18inch plastic netting but worked pretty well. It isn't there any more so no pictures.