How high to fence

[equinealot]

I have 22 RIR hens & 1 Rooster. All are free range all over my 5 acres. I don't even lock them in at night. So far the only thing that's bothered them is rat snake eating eggs. Going to make a pen & yard. I'm tired of poop everywhere & don't find all the eggs. Do you think they can fly over 7 ft high fence if there is nothing to step on to get over. The area is 50 ft. square.

 

[chiknhurder]

A 7 foot fence would be difficult for them to clear. Mine is 5 foot and I've not had any escape yet. You're rolling the dice leaving your chickens out at night. I let me free range each day without watching them and they did well for 8 months until the neighbors dogs killed half my flock in one afternoon and 3 weeks later a hawk took another hen. Never think all is well and that you must being doing something different or right because you haven't lost any birds when other people are. Eventually a predator is going to strike. I met a guy at a picnic that lost 50 chickens in one week and they were locked up but the coop wasn't 100% predator proof.

 

[equinealot]

Yea, they go in the pen to roost, but I kinda got lazy about locking them in so they could go out in the morning before I get up. But I will start locking them in again. I have a 50 ft square yard that is already fenced. We are going to add another 4ft to the almost 4ft that is there. I saw this deer netting on home depot web site. was thinking about covering the yard with that. We are looking around getting ideas. Also I have 2 watch donkeys that surround the yard. However I guess that wouldn't stop air attacks. That is why I guess we are going to cover their yard. Thanks for your input.

 

[4 the Birds]

You should have a fenced free range area and not let them have the run of your entire 5 acres. Ours free range within about an acre of 4' high fencing. A few will fly over when they first free range but they quickly learn to stay inside. Chickens can easily fly up over 7 ft. high. Our coop and hay shed are within the free range area and 7 ft. high. The chickens often fly up from a standing launch onto the roof. Your run or pen area as you call it should be predator proof and wired all around. Make this area as large as you can and so that they can access it from the coop when they are not free ranging.

 

[chiknhurder]

I did a pen around my coop and run that's 5 feet high. I've had 2 get out when I first put it up but since last fall, no more escapees. If you provide them with plenty of options for browsing on they're less inclined to need to free range since they are, in essence, free ranging in the pen. Also I noticed that when they get use to free ranging they expect to be let out every day. Mine use to crowd the gate when I came into the pen or went out, but now, since I've been keeping them in, they don't even bother trying.