Oops? Possible fence height issue?

[Adirondacked]

Well, it's another noob question in the midst of building my small coop and run.

The chicken house looks good (and thanks for the advice). I'm building the run now - wood fencing with poultry wire attached to it. The run is about 20' x 10'. I made it 5' or so high, simply because that was the height of the roll of wire. Didn't even really think about it. Oops?

A friend stopped in and panicked me a little - "That's not going to be any higher?! Won't they fly right out? Are you going to put netting over that thing?"

I had wanted larger dual-purpose birds, Rhode Island Reds and the like. Is my fence too short? If I end up adding some smaller breeds later - too short?

 

[teach1rusl]

I'll be watching this post to hear some more knowledgable opinions...
From what I've read, a five foot open fence probably won't contain them. Will they be in the run unsupervised? Plus, as many have pointed out on the site, an open fence of almost any height won't keep raccoons and other predators out...

 

[Adirondacked]

They'd be watched most of the day, and actually wouldn't be sleeping in the run. I built the chicken house nice and tight with hardware cloth at all the seams, so they have a safe place to rest and roost. The run is really just for daytime.

 

[antlers]

I can not give you any scientific data, only personal observation over 40 years.

Banties will fly over darn near everything. Turkeys too.
Regular hens? Well I had em in a 4 foot fence for 25 years and never had one go over. What I can not prove is why. My fences were just chicken wire on wood posts. Had I had a board high up on the fence, it would have given the girls something to shoot for and they may have gone over. With nothing there but the fine wire though, I dont think they could gage how high it was and so never tried. My opinion only.

That said , I made my new fence 6 foot with netting over the top. Only reason I made it 6 foot was so I could walk in it.

 

[trilyn]

Hey, you're in the north woods! Love it up there, we're leaving for a camping trip tomorrow to the Moose River!

You definitely need to put some type of poultry netting over the run and there's bears where you are. Electric wire should be part of your game plan in my opinion. You can't be too safe! If it were me, I'd put a wire up on the top and 2 of them on the bottom about a foot apart. Obviously turn it off if you're going to free range, but when you have them in the run and you're not home-turn that puppy on, especially at night!

If you didn't dig a foot under your run to bury wire to make it predator proof, try putting an apron of hardware cloth (best) or at least chicken wire on the outside of the run connecting it to the existing fence. You won't have to bury it, the grass will grow through it. It will keep the diggers out and they're not smart enough to dig back where there isn't any wire.

Good luck!!

 

[annek]

My RIR's wouldn't fly out of my pen, however I couldn't keep my leghorn's in. With the leghorn's it didn't matter the height. You will probably be okay with the RIR's they are pretty chunky. I finally covered my pen in bird cloth. It is flimsy and really cheap but does the trick. I attached it to the fence with zip ties. Easy but it will sag in the middle if you don't put a wire support or something to keep it up.

 

[fhdogs]

My run fence is only 5' on one end, 4' on the other (uneven ground). I put netting over the top. I had planned to put the netting since we have the occasional hawk fly by. The chickens have never gotten anywhere near the netting anyway. On the other hand, my 3 Mallards like to fly the length of the run with their heads running along the underside of the net.

This is the best photo I have available of the run.

The posts are six feet tall. This is the end where the run is 5'.

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
Check out my BYC page to see my fence height. It's about 6 1/2 feet tall, the Guineas fly over with no problem (I want them to, for bug patrol) but the Chickens don't as adults, they are dual-purpose birds. The chickens as juveniles will occasionally make it over the fence---they usually get removed from the gene pool by predation when outside the fence. Oh--well, I guess that improves the gene pool I have left, those that don't get out get their eggs hatched next year.

 

[patandchickens]

If they want to, they will fly out (silkies and CornishX broilers excepted). If they don't want to, they won't. PROBABLY they won't want to, except maybe they will and there is no good way of predicting it.

I've had a Sussex go over a 6' fence a couple times, and that's with very little 'running room'. So never say never.

Either you can wait and see what happens, or you can put a top on your run (which would help vs hawks etc as well).

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[scooter147]

With heavy breeds it will probably be high enough.
When they are pullets they can probably go over it if they want.
A wood fence gives them something to "eyeball", something to fly to if you will. With a wire fence they dont seem to be able to judge the height.
I have a three foot chicken wire fence around my garden and my chickens have never gone over it. I believe they have a hard time seeing a top so they think it goes up to forever. They will walk around it forever it seems eyeing up the tomatoes.