How high does a portable, topless pen need to be?

[Omelette]

I am planning to buy a portable pen (used to exercising dogs), so that I could give my city chickens some fresh grass to play on. They come in both 3 and 4 foot heights. I am wondering if 3 feet would be enough to keep them in.

Alternatively, I guess I could put some netting over top.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Six foot at least, anything lower and they'll probably get out. It also depends on the type of chickens you've got. If you are raising bantams, they're usually light and can fly higher than standards.

Usually, if you give them enough space, they'll be happy and content and won't ever think about trying to fly out.

 

[silkiechicken]

A determined chicken will get out... my lazy little suckers are stopped by a 18 inch fence even though they jump higher than that to get to the top of their coop.

Yeah, 6 feet is a minimum to garuentee no escapee's and then, there will still be thoes who get out. I say cover it, since that will prevent hawks too.

 

[Omelette]

Thank you for the replies.

So, I think I could go with a 3 foot height then and cover it with something.
Any suggestions on covers?

It will look something like this.

 

[Dawn419]

I just made a "day-time only" run expansion for our Modified Chick-N-Barn using a 4' by 16' cattle panel. There are two, 4' wide walls and one, 6' long wall. We used landscape netting for a cover. The netting is heavy-duty plastic with 1/4" holes.

Hope this is some help!

Dawn

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

Hello....Have to tell you something funny.This past Sunday my DH was working on the coop/future tack room ...moving a wall to make it bigger for the girls and he figured they had all finished laying by noon so he put them out in their yard and he closed their pop door and he put there food and drink out in their yard.He was sawing and hammering away and he told me he just happened to notice out of the corner of his eye one of the RIR standing at the main door.He stopped hammering and she came walking in CLUCKING !! as if she was telling him to get OUT!!! and she hopped up into a nest box..Still clucking away....that's when he left to give her a break (because thats what you do around any female hahaha!! )and he came in to tell me...and when we went out we had another egg !! So she must have flown over our approx 3 ft fence. and remembered where the main door was from when they really free ranged.......that was a first since we put the fence up in early October.....because of our Retriever !!!! Good Luck and let us all know how it works out......

 

[seminolewind]

how cute! And got another egg!

 

[Omelette]

Dawn: I love that idea. That's exactly what I'm going to do.

2468Chickensrgr8: That's is so funny! Is it legal to have chickens in Guelph or are you in a rural area? I'm in Toronto and "risking it."

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

Hello Omelette
No I live in a rural area but my kids go to school in Guelph and one of my daughters friends parents have about 8 chickens in a steel garden shed in there back yard and they unsulate it with straw bales in the winter.Also my parents neighbours have always had chickens since I met my step dad (20yrs ago)and they have open backyards on there side of the street and the chickens go everywhere ! I think as long as you dont have a rooster you'll be okay and plus if you have any gardeners in the neighbourhood you can always give them what you have in your coop...straw etc. and they'll be happy.....and there's always the fresh eggs !!!.....Good Luck ! Let us know how it works out...