How high can they fly??

[wormy270]

My family are getting our first chickens in a few days. We are turning a old horse stall in the barn into a chicken coop. The stall walls are around 8 ft tall. We were wondering if the girls can fly over the stall walls. No problem to cover above the walls, but didnt want to if they wont fly over. What do you think?

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

Depends on what kind of chickens you are getting. Heavier breeds usually dont fly very high at all. But lighter breed chickens can usually fly very high. Some of my game chickens can fly well over 8 ft and do it often. While on the other hand the RIRs I had was in a lot that was 4 ft tall and they wouldnt fly out at all.

ETA:

from TN

 

[wormy270]

We are getting standard breed RI reds, Buff orphingtons, and Plymouth rocks.

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

Those breeds arent very prone to flying very high so 8 ft should be just fine. If they start flying out, you may have to fix the walls then. But I would bet you wont have that trouble.

 

[vtchickenlady]

We have RIR, Buffs and Aracaunas and they have flown over our 6 foot garden fence. One evening when they were left in the garden too long a few of them flew 8 ft up into a maple tree to roost.

 

[Chris09]

your best off to put some wire on top of it os something to keep them in...
Chris

 

[Lollipop]

If you clip the flight feathers on one wing, problem solved.......Pop

 

[edselpdx]

My golden laced wyandotte couldn't figure out the pop door on the new coop yesterday and flew up to the top of the 6 foot fence, then walked out onto the roof of the coop. Shoulda seen us trying to get her down... it probably would have made a pretty funny video. I have the welded wire for the top, but thought I was installing that to keep predators out, not chickens in!

 

[SarahFair]

It looks like such a chore for my Jersey Giant rooster to fly over a 3 foot gate we have on the back porch..
Sometimes Ill have to toss him off when he wont go for himself and he sinks like a anchor (its not a high back porch so dont think im throwing him off a 10 foot drop

)