How high can clipped hens hop?

[cobra2411]

I'm in the planning phase of getting my first chickens. I've added a garden to my yard, then bees, and now maybe chickens...

Anyway, the garden has a 2" high fence. If I let them free range in the yard can they hop the fence?

Also how hard is it to heard chickens? They will be sharing the back yard with my dogs so I need to be able to get them back because I don't plan on seeing if the dogs will play nice... (They don't play nice with the local rabbits...)


Thanks,
David

 

[Katie Jo]

2 Inches? Oh yeah, they could clear that without putting any engergy into it! Did you mean 2 feet?

 

[cobra2411]

Opps...

Yeah, I meant 2'...

 

[BeardedChick]

They can hop 2' just fine. Mine can hop to the 3' roost w/o any flapping. I would think they can easily go higher...

Chickens do not herd well. They are more likely to scatter.

 

[Katie Jo]

Yeah, I'd say they could still hop that if they really wanted to. Last year I had 2 chickens (with clipped wings) that would hop into my mini greenhouse to roost....their favorite shelf was ATLEAST 2 feet off the ground.

 

[Akane]

Depends on the breed. Some will still clear 4' fences with clipped wings. Heavier breeds might not clear 4' fences without clipped wings. Most will probably clear 2' either way though.

 

[cobra2411]

Ok, next question, can / will they hop the 4' fence that's around my back yard? (ok, someone beat me to it... Slow typer here...)

So they don't herd well, but are they at least somewhat easy to "collect"?

 

[cobra2411]

Quote:
Ah... So I should spoil them and fatten them up?

 

[new2chix]

Yes, many can and will hop 2-3-4 foot high fences with clipped wings. If you want to be able to "collect "them choose calm breeds (some breeds are more skittish than others) and handle them a lot from the time they are babies. With consistent bribery (treats every time you go in their coop) they will follow you like lemmings.

 

[ddeans]

I have a black sex link hen that is a rather large hen, and she can jump from the ladder to get in to the coop up about 4.5 feet to the top of the coop and then that's it, shes out and on the run.