How high to build a fence.

[barg]

Im posting this outside my normal thread, The Esther and Winnie thread Since its not directly related to them, I apologise if anyone is offended by this departure

Anyway, We are thinking of putting up a woooden fence on the side of the house and letting the chickens "Free Range" in it.
Ok its not exactly free rangeing but its as close as we will ever get.

Our flock includes Dominiques, Australorps an EE and a Wyandotte,
How high does the fence need to be to keep them from getting out?

Thank you for your responce.

Also, if you stop by and see my main thread, please remember to sign the guest book

Guest book = post a reply that says anything, even a smiley face will do, hek i'de settle for, "Dang those are some ugly chickens"

Will someone please add an animation of someone fishing? uhg!

 

[KrisRose]

Barg- I have a 6 foot high fence for my coop run which one of my EE's can get up on with ease. She is the only one who can get out ( I also have two other EE's which can't get out). I use a 4 foot high fence for my chicken yard where they can "free range" when I'm home and my neighbor the jerk has his dogs out and dosn't keep a good eye on them. I'v had the EE'S (all of them), Red Sex Links, and BR's all clear this fence when they want to. Now that they are mature and laying it is getting harder for them to clear the fence.
Well, except that darn EE.

So I would that a good look at your hens and what they are capable of. Also what is roaming your neighborhood? Got a local dog who can clear a 4 foot fence???

 

[thndrdancr]

Aracaunas are known for being able to fly like an eagle, (well for a chicken) and I think some of the EE's that have a strong Aracauna gene can really amaze you.

Fussy can fly straight up to my head on her feel good days, and I am 5' 4".

My lil crossbeak could jump almost straight up 3 ft at about 2 weeks old (That was without using her wings, either!) She probably would have been one of those "fly like an eagle" ones, as she had to have a REAL strong gene since she had no tail and the hunched back. I started looking at pics of button quail and guinea when I had her cuz she was so weird. Never did figure her out.

I know one lady said hers would get on top of her barn then be afraid to fly off. So...

 

[Motherhenandflock]

Me too! I've got a 6 ft. chicken wire fence around the chicken yard. I've had an "Auracana" fly out when she was younger.
They can fly and jump. I'm thinking "chicken basketball".

 

[KrisRose]

I'v ordered netting for the top of my run to keep Purty in. We also have alot of hawks lately so I would have to do it anyway. She is the smallest and most slender of my chickens and she flies like a pheasant!! Kind of looks like one too.

 

[barg]

Hmm, thanks for the input.
I may have to think about this whole idea a while.
Seems like a big can of worms with alot of potential problems.

Thanks all

 

[rosyposyosy]

i have watched my bantam cochin "fajita" climb the chicken wire before! my others were once able but then they got too big. fajita is also the only one who can roost on one of our trees since the tree is weak and she weighs so little

 

[ChickaChickaBoomBoom]

Our two Black Star hens started laying last week, to give you an idea of their age/size. When free-ranging, they have been inside a 3' high chicken fence area. Though they regularly fly up on top of their run, which is 4' high, they haven't flown out --- until today.

They now know that by clearing this short fence, they can make it all the way across the yard and around the other side of the house to my wife's cherry tomatoes (may they rest in peace). I would say the highest they've flown has been about 4 1/2 feet or so, and I haven't seen them try to reach the top of the 6' fence that surrounds our yard.

With all of the benefits that we have gotten from them free ranging, in just the short time that we've had them (two weeks), I am glad that they have that chance.

-Dave

 

[thndrdancr]

I do suppose a 6 ft fence would keep them in "most" of the time. Now if they got scared or were feeling ambitious, ....well...you got the picture.
That and if you have anything they can hop on, to get to the fence, you can forget it...cuz they will go exploring now and again.

I think mostly they stay by the coop, but you will always have "one" that wants to go exploring I bet. Sorry.

 

[Ginevive]

My possible Rhode Island roo scaled a 4' stall wall yesterday and ended up in the next (empty) stall. His buddy was mad but we got him back in the right place pretty quick; I was surprised but I think that he jumped onto the edge of the big 20g horse waterer bucket-thingie in there and used that as a stair-step. I am taking it out today.