keeping free range chickens safe

[BSfarm]

Does anyone have any ideas on how to stop my chickens from flying over the safety fence? I ended up losing a leghorn R.I.P. Hiccup, to my dog because the **** chicken wouldn't learn to stay in the pen. This is my first go round w/ chickens and especially with a death. I gotta say the leghorns seem to be the worst about this. As Hiccup now gone and Sally often try do some extra free ranging on their own. But the other day I went to feed the chickens some table scraps as always and my Barred Rock (Michele Obama) a.k.a Mo flew up and over the fence in excitement i believe. But I don't want to lose my chickens in this manner. Any ideas?

 

[Janis R]

Clip the wings

 

[kittykitty30]

You can make the fence a little taller to keep them from escaping, or put a wire top on.

 

[centrarchid]

Breed selection, electrified poultry netting, and train dog.

 

[Rainier]

Clip the wings

X2
We had that problem with our chickens. We clipped the wings and they now stay in our yard. Thankfully they didn't start flying over to the neighbors yard until she had rehomed him. He was/is a chicken killer, killed three of her chickens before being rehomed.

 

[Howlet]

put a top on it and it stops from hawk attacks...

 

[islandgirl82]

Until I put a solid roof on my run, I'm using the inexpensive bird netting for bushes...it comes in various sizes (a 14'x14' is about $5). I have a mixed flock most of which are great flyers and I do let them free range but when they're confined to the run and coop, this netting has done extremely well in stopping them from flying out. They can see it and the roosts in the run are high enough they can reach it but they don't bother with it.

 

[islandgirl82]

Also, with a free-ranging flock, I would NOT recommend clipping wings as it is one way they have to escape if they run into ground predators.