Need to keep hens from jumping fence

[Chickengal505]

Maybe...they jump the fence out of boredom next time you mow the lawn put the clippings inside the coop or pen it may keep them entertained

 

[geebs]

Aviary netting... or tie legs together.. ha ha

 

[feathersnuggles]

Quote:
1. What Nifty said. They don't really fly over -- from the ground on one side TO the ground on the other, that is. They fly up, land on something, then fly down. If they can't see something to land on, they usually won't try it.

2. Also, we've been successful at keeping them from flying over our 5' high fence (read, flying up to the top of the fence line and then flying down to the other side). We didn't clip their wings. We tied 2' long strips of bright red plastic to the tops of the fences. Actually, we just cut up red plastic bags from the store, but you could use almost anything that is flexible enough to tie and that "flutters" a little.

Just one or two strips per 4' or 5' linear feet did the trick. The birds that were flying over, stopped immediately.

 

[Tala]

Wing clipping keeps my Leghorns in, although I had to do BOTH wings. Messing with their balance didn't do enough, but without both wings they can't seem to keep enough air under them. They struggle to get higher than 3ft so I put the roost at 3ft for them. No more white escapees!

Keeping Queenie (the Red) in is harder. She's the smart one. She has all her feathers because she's too heavy to fly very much. She goes in and out the doggy door at will though

I frequently come home to her in the front yard, and when I go to get her back in the back fence she's already put herself back in!

so I'm going to do some tweaking to the doggy door . . . . as soon as the weather warms up a bit.

 

[poultrypatch]

NO, NO NO GEEB !!! You don't tie their legs together to keep them from flying over the fence etc !!! They can still hop that way !
You MUST tie both wings behind their backs !!! That way they can run....but not flap and take off !!
Only kidding !
I've never know anybody that clips both wings....only one wing and the first......about 10 feathers, from the wing TIP !!! Not the area on the end...closest to their body....they'll still be able to fly !
However, did my Guinea keats and I can tell you DIDN'T stop those terrors ! I have deer netting over top of my runs. No good here in New England...weight of the snow has taken it down in many places and then I'm out there patching it back up in the freezing cold !!! Just ordered 2 rolls of 2" chicken wire, 75 ft long and 5 ft high...will be replacing the netting with that. AND hope the snow will go right thru the 2" openings and not make it sag tooooo bad !
Good luck !
Liz
Rochester, MA

 

[mboreham1]

I had the same issue, mine were just curious. They went into the frint yard to interact with the doves. It gave them a great chance to fight the neighbors cats and they won, the cats havent come back once!

I went to youtube and typed chicken wing clipping, there are soooo many great videos to watch, then i just clipped. They tried to fly once, didnt get more than 4 ft off the ground and since have stopped trying, they run everywhere, which is just hillarious plus very heartwarming when they come great you every morning. After they malt though you will have to clip again as they re grow their flight feathers.

I have heard different opinions on clipping one or both wings, i went with one but i have seen both done.

Good luck!

 

[GardeNerd]

When my chickens were younger I always kept them in a really large dog exercise metal enclosure with bird netting over it whenever they were out in the yard. I now keep that same fencing around the spaces I want to keep them in or out of with NO bird netting and they don't fly over. It is only 24" tall. I am wondering if is because they were conditioned as young pullets that they couldn't go over, then as adults they don't try even though they could?

My neighbor uses a much taller fence and her birds easily clear it all the time with clipped wings. She doesn't understand how I keep mine on the side of the short fence. I don't really either, but I am not complaining. As a result of my neighbor's experience, I don't know if clipping will remedy the problem. She only did one on each bird. However, we did use the instructions we found here at BYC to do it and it was very helpful.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
I tried just one wing first, and it didn't work completely they were roosting in trees above my head. The day after I clipped one they were up there again, so I was mad about having to get them down in the dark and I put a towel on their heads and did the other side too!
Everyone sleep in the coop now and they haven't flown over our 5ft fence either (I think they quit trying) so I guess I "won"

 

[Janay]

I clipped one wing of each of my 10 Red Star hens. They were still able to fly over my fence so I clipped the other. I still found a few able to fly over. My fence is not too tall, about 3 1/2 ft. But they are now about 10 months old and have never tried flying over till just recently. I have to keep them in my backyard. I read the post from feathersnuggles and think I will try the red plastic. Does anybody else have any ideas how I can keep them in? If there is no other way, I think I will have to keep them in the coop.
Thanks

 

[kpsocalchicks89]

im thinking about putting pvc pipe on a rope right above where they would land on the fence to hop over so they spin off
only 3 of mine do it which they just hop into my front yard but we have a big ol pitbull who like to come over and ive already lost a few hens to my own dog and don't want to deal with that again....