Here's my Chicken coop, lost one rooster, dont want to loose any more.

[Runfox]

Ok I need some advice please.

. I lost a rooster the other day to our dogs. They are jack Russell terriers, born hunters, so I cant blame them. Our Rooster jumped up on the 4' fence, then came down on the dog side. I guess roosters want to jump up to high places to crow???? The hens have never tried to jump up on the fence. My wife tells me we are getting another rooster and a chicken dome one wants to place. So I am trying to figure out how to keep my chickens from jumping up on the 4' fence and getting out or into the backyard with the dogs. I have trimmed the flight feathers on one wing on all our chickens, and the rooster, to prevent them from jumping/ flying up on the fence, but that didn't stop the dead rooster.

here is our setup

I have the chicken coop I built next to the 10x10 dog kennel. It has a tarp on it for shade, and wires mesh to keep hawks and such out. Then the whole area is surrounded by a 4' fence that comes up to the back yard chain link fence. That keeps any varmints from reaching into the chickens at night. The dogs are in the back yard sometimes and run back and forth along the chain link fence. They cant get to the chickens as long as they stay in their area. The kennel gate is open so the chickens can scratch around the grass area outside their coop. You cant see them , but the chickens are in the shade under the coop.

So what can I do to keep the chickens or more to the point , any rooster, from getting up on the fence? I don't want to have to make the fence higher. and I hate to have to keep them shut in the kennel/ coop and not come out and scratch around.

 

[greenfingers]

Netting over the top would solve your problem, and ensure hawks are not able to snatch any chickens when they are out on the grass. You said you don't want to make your fence any higher, but you could extend it with 2x2s and put the netting on above your chain link to make it higher (does that make sense?). That way you don't 'see' it so much, but your birds can't fly over it. Also, I have had to clip BOTH wings on my chickens, not just one to prevent them from flying. Good luck!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Sorry, but I see your only solution is a taller fence. Any chicken can get over a 4 ft fence. And yes, roosters like to find a higher platform to crow and show off their manly-ness.

I have a 7 ft fence and I've only had 2 chickens that were escapees, and only when they were little. Now fully grown, they can't fly that high.

 

[sammileah]

my hen pen fence is 7 ft tall and i have deer netting over it cause i have hens who even with wings clipped, fly/climb the fence.
a high roost in middle of area might help. my roo perches high when he sleeps and crows.

 

[Runfox]

Ok , well this iswhy I ask on this forum, I dont know much about chickens I guess. I thought 4' high fence was high enough, but I guess I was wrong. I am still amazed that my rooster was able to get up on the fence with one wing clipped. Guess I will have to look at making the fence higher with some netting if I can find a source. Any suggestions where I can find netting cheap?

 

[geebs]

suggestion that will work:

Put coop inside chain run... Put same type of panel on TOP of the kennel... a lid (that's what I have for mine) and then... Most important... Train the dogs to herd them w/o eating them or just to sit and watch them.... I had a dog that attacked my chickens... He is now reformed and we no longer have problems.. so say... Cyberhug time... and good luck

 

[Cindy in PA]

Quote:
You can buy 7 by 100 ft rolls of deer netting for about $20. You could put it over the 4 foot fence, but you would not be able to walk inside. To extend your fence, screw pieces of wood at the posts and wrap a 2 or 3 ft. roll of chicken wire or welded wire and secure it to the rail. Make sure you cover with netting, as anywhere a lighter fence bends slightly in or out, it becomes a landing place for chickens to fly to the other side. Hope this helps. I secure netting and fencing with black (UV resistant) nylon ties.

 

[pebble]

You could put some poles on the top of your fence to make it higher. Then you put some netting between the poles and over the top, preventing hawks from entering and your chickens from escaping.

 

[Turner]

Just cover the top - some are good flyers.

 

[mshap]

Another idea is to put a tall pole in the center, then drape netting over the pole to the 4' fence - so it would be like a tent. Perhaps you could attach a horizontal piece to the pole for a high perch for the rooster.