How high can clipped hens hop?

[BeardedChick]

Heavier breeds might not clear 4' fences without clipped wings.

My big fat orps were not told that, and being tomato addicts, ALWAYS hopped over the 4' fence into the garden.

BUGGERS!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Most of my heavy breed chickens don't go over a 4' fence, with unclipped wings. Rita, a partridge Plymouth Rock, routinely did. So we clipped both her wings. She still did it! She had one heck of a set of thighs. I think she was part grasshopper...

I think what a chicken will do has the most to do with how motivated they are to do it!

 

[jnjross]

i clipped my game hens and they still flew away, my unclipped orps can't get over my 6ft fence but my sex links can,

 

[Hattie the Hen]

I herd my chickens but you have to start teaching them whiile they are quite young and you have to stay very quiet and calm--no sudden movements or yelling. I use a 8' long thin bamboo pole (2 of them if there are a lot of birds or they are very flighty). You get behind them, then tap the ground gently and they will walk in front of you to the entrance to their enclosure. You can touch them gently with the cane if they stray out of the direction you want them to go in but never shout or hit them. If at the beginning you find yourself getting annoyed with them, step away until you calm down, then start again--both you and them will soon catch on. It's a question of trust--remember you are BIG CHICKEN and their much respected leader. It helps to give them a little bit of mixed corn as a treat when you have got them to their destination. It's very useful if they stray out of your yard. Mine very occasionaly do and my neighbors are amused to see it and say that I look like an old-fashioned goose-girl!!! I've also done it with turkeys and ducks. My neighbor next door used to call them "The Stiicks of Power". Have a go at it but keep quiet & calm. Good luck!

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. I have RIR's. I have a 4 ft high fence and when they were up to about a year old now and again would fly over. I have a covered run for the big girls and they used to fly up on it and over they went. I set a 2x6 on it's side along the edge and they stopped. Now they don't any more but they are pretty heavy now. They are almost 2 yrs old. I have had some times when they were younger they would be rather hard to round up. They love bread so I would bribe them with some bread and catch them. So far my younger ones have't tried but they could if they wanted to. They are still establishing their pecking order and run at each other puff up and jump in the air. I've seen them jump us at least 4 ft so I'm sure they could if they wanted. They are next to the big girls but I haven't put them together yet.