We've only been keeping hens since February and we live in an urban area. We have three: a barred rock, ameraucana, and a buff orpington. Here's our setup...
That's a 4x4 hen house, a 4x16 run, and the fence area is a 2.5' electric fence that gives the hens about 800 sq ft of yard space. Furthermore, we have a 6' privacy fence that runs around our ~100x100 back yard.
Needless to say, that 2.5' electric fence does not contain them for very long. They jump over it regularly throughout the day. I knew this when I first set it up, but since I already had the 2.5' fence, I didn't want to buy anything new. However, they've been getting out a lot lately and I think it's time I do something about it.
Soo my options are to either clip their wings or get a taller fence. My guess is that clipping their wings is not going to keep them from getting over the 2.5' fence, except for maybe the buff, who can barely get it over it anyway. And I've seen the barred rock jump on top of the run, which is 4' tall, so she could probably jump over a new 4' electric fence with unclipped wings. Maybe I should clip their wings AND put up a 4' fence. Thoughts?
Here's the fence I'm looking at. It's pricey, but I like being able to charge it for predators, I like the mobility of it, and I'm reluctant to build something permanent, like a chain link fence.
Usually, I like to let them free-range around the whole yard for a few hours at the end of the day only. So far, roosting on branches or jumping the 6' privacy fence has not been a problem. Frankly, I think the back yard as a whole keeps three chickens so busy that they seem uninterested in what's over the privacy fence. Famous last words...
That's a 4x4 hen house, a 4x16 run, and the fence area is a 2.5' electric fence that gives the hens about 800 sq ft of yard space. Furthermore, we have a 6' privacy fence that runs around our ~100x100 back yard.
Needless to say, that 2.5' electric fence does not contain them for very long. They jump over it regularly throughout the day. I knew this when I first set it up, but since I already had the 2.5' fence, I didn't want to buy anything new. However, they've been getting out a lot lately and I think it's time I do something about it.
Soo my options are to either clip their wings or get a taller fence. My guess is that clipping their wings is not going to keep them from getting over the 2.5' fence, except for maybe the buff, who can barely get it over it anyway. And I've seen the barred rock jump on top of the run, which is 4' tall, so she could probably jump over a new 4' electric fence with unclipped wings. Maybe I should clip their wings AND put up a 4' fence. Thoughts?
Here's the fence I'm looking at. It's pricey, but I like being able to charge it for predators, I like the mobility of it, and I'm reluctant to build something permanent, like a chain link fence.
Usually, I like to let them free-range around the whole yard for a few hours at the end of the day only. So far, roosting on branches or jumping the 6' privacy fence has not been a problem. Frankly, I think the back yard as a whole keeps three chickens so busy that they seem uninterested in what's over the privacy fence. Famous last words...
