Keeping my chicken safe

[Monchicks]

Hi chicken parents,

My 3 girls will be ready to move outside very soon and I want to make sure they are safe. We have two large dogs on the otherside of the metal fence. Concrete slabs underneath so no digging can be done, we will also black out the fence. My concern is that the girls will jump onto the coup and over the fence as well as over the neighbours fence where there is sometimes a dog. I have already seen some decent jumps from them

I think I would like to clip their wings for extra assurance but have read varying ages of when this can be done. When is safe? I don't want to wait until they escape to decide as I think escape will be certain death.

Will they use those trees down the end to get out?

Please tell me your recommendations! Perhaps we should move the coup to against the house? Cut down the trees?

Thanks so much

 

[DobieLover]

Clipping their wings will teach them to stay within their enclosure but it also prevents them from being able to move as fast when they run. They propel themselves a bit with their wings.

If you own that privacy fence you can staple up about a foot high run of chicken wire the length of it. You can also do a similar attachment to the top rail of the wire fence. That floppy chicken wire will prevent them from flying up to the edge of the fence as they need a solid surface to land on. They wouldn't be able to clear over the chicken wire from the top of the coop. They shouldn't be able to jump up into that tree and then jump the fence. They're not considered flighted birds. They are ground birds. They can fly a bit but they aren't very good at it.