How high can chickens jump?

[LtDanFan]

i’m thinking of re-vamping out chicken yard. Basic set up is an interior 4 ft fence (poultry wire) with a 6 ft solid wooden fence surround and a 2 ft walkway around the inner yard. The ladies have been regularly jumping the inner fence and exploring the space between the 2 fences. If we get rid of the inner fence, can they still be contained within 6 ft fencing? How high can chickens jump/flap i wanting to go vertical?

 

[thecatumbrella]

What breeds do you have?

The larger, heavier breeds aren't great at getting height, and you can clip their wings to try and keep them in. Smaller breeds, forget about it. I remember reading that someone's d'Uccle cleared the roof of their house.

Also, fences will a solid landing surface (like a wooden fence) are not great for containment. If they're jumping the 4-foot wire, I'd be skeptical of the 6-foot wood.

 

[TOMTE]

Depends on breed/size, mostly. Like @thecatumbrella said, small birds are usually a lot more "flighty". Less weight, easier for them to lift off and stay in the air for longer periods.

2 of my chickens (a BSL and a SLW) are pretty heavy but surprise me by effortlessly jumping up 3½ - 4ft frequently. So I wouldn't put it past a very determined heavy bird to scale a fence, either. They use their beaks, feet, and wings to climb wherever they can find purchase.

Bird/trellis netting over the area you want to keep them in is an option. And it has the added bonus of keeping birds of prey out.

 

[FunClucks]

How high can chickens jump? However high they want to. If they're determined, they'll find a way.

That being said, how much do your birds weigh? My 10-12 lb meat are not going to be scaling a six foot fence, but most of my birds are 5-7 lbs, and they fly as high as they like.