How tall does a run have to be to keep chickens in

[andbab]

I'm just wondering how high a run fence has to be to keep chickens in? would four-five feet do it. Does it have to have a roof? I don't have to worry much about climbing or flying predators at least I hope I don't

My plan is to do the garden coop I saw on one of the other topics so a roof might be a pain but if nessecary....

 

[DTchickens]

if you dont plan to put a roof on it i would at least make it 6-7 feet.. 4-5 they most likely will want to fly over

 

[Mahonri]

I have a RIR that could easily clear 6ft.

 

[chickensioux]

I have a four foot fence and I just clip one wing and everybody tends to stay where they are.
Sue

 

[al6517]

You may never know if later you change your mind and want to upgrade your run's. I allways make everything at least 8' tall so I can work in there and not bump my head OUCH.

AL

 

[Picco]

Fence height depends on breed. Heavy breeds typically can be contained with 5 feet, but many will still fly over that. My wyandottes have always been kept in my 6 foot fence, but my bantams, turkeys, penedesencas and leghorns easily clear it.

 

[patandchickens]

I've had a sussex cockerel repeatedly go over (well, onto) a 6' fence with very little 'running room'. If they want to go over, they WILL (well ok except for large broilers and silkies

). Will they want to? Who knows. Can't tell except retrospectively i.e. looking out the window and saying Hey, there's a chicken outside the fence

You SURELY have hawks, wherever you are in BC, even if it's urban. And the occasional loose dog. Dunno about coyotes, raccoons, weasels (nobody EVER sees weasels, but they are around in all sortsa rural areas), etc. So I would not get complacent about predators...

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[ams3651]

mine is nearly 5 feet and they dont try to get out. I had netting over the top but when I put in the bigger fence it got torn and I havent replaced it yet

 

[Swamp Roo]

I have a 20' x 20' run that starts at 8'+ and ends at 4' high. I have 1X6 "rafters" across the high and low ends. I ran 1/8" cable around the remaining perimeter and across the middle from both directions (I set a post in the center to support the cables). I did all of this to support deer netting across the top of the run. J clips attached the netting to the cables (my chicken wire walls too) and seamed the netting together. keeps the chickens in and the hawks out. The netting is plastic, and has lasted a year so far, but at $14 with plenty of left over I can replace it once a year and not care. I should add I do have electric running at the bottom, 6" up, 4' up, and at the top of the run, so I'm not too concerned with predators climbing up and tearing through the netting, but if you plan on locking up your birds at night anyway you won't need too worry about much anyway. My coop is at the high end, and this lets me work in most of the run without hunching over much (I'm 6'3"). While this does not tell you how high a fence needs to be to keep chickens in, it gives you a cheap way of solving the problem to start with. I think the "roof" cost about $40 (maybe less).

Swamp

 

[Linda in San Diego]

Humm, the young hens topped our 6 ft fence around the yard without much trouble at all. So we trimmed wing feathers just like we do for our parrots and that took care of it. But they can still clear 4ft with no problem.