Please don't jump into the dog run!

[ctchopper]

I heard that chickens were easy. I guess having chickens AND dogs...not so much
At 5 weeks, 4 of our 5 chicks were killed by our dogs. We now have one 14 week Delaware (sole survivor), two 9-week Barred Rocks and one 8 week Buff Orpington. We have a dog run with a 7 foot chain link fence, so I'm hoping to allow the chickens to free range a bit when I'm outside with them. I let the older one out once, and the darn bird ran straight for the run! She'd have stuck her head through the chain link to have it bit off if I hadn't snagged her!

Today we wired the bottom 3 feet of the dog run with hardware cloth for a more secure separation of dog and bird. I'm wondering now if it is, or will it be, possible for any of these breeds to fly over a 7 foot chain link fence? They seem to have no fear of the dogs...AT ALL! So far, they run and flap and lift off to about three feet in height.

By now, the dogs no longer lunge at them or harass them at the coop, but I'm sure it would be a sad ending if they were ever to meet without wire between them.

 

[SwedishDude99]

It's definitely possible for the bird to get up there. I would consider covering the top of the run with a tarp to keep the chicken from actually going in.

 

[Folly's place]

x2! My dogs think chickens are great, not in a good way. Any bird that gets into the yard will get killed. Covering the run with netting, a tarp, or wire, is the best plan, because those birds will be able to fly into it otherwise. Clipping wing feathers on one side helps, but must be repeated every molt. I'd probably forget. Mary

 

[Michael OShay]

The good news is that because all of your chickens are heavy breeds, they are poor flyers. I have not had delawares but I have had the other two breeds and can tell you that the buff Orpington will not fly over your fence. A barred rock might make it if he really tried but it is highly unlikely.

 

[donrae]

Wild turkeys around here roost in trees, I've seen them fly a good 20 feet straight up to their roost. After that, I never underestimate how high poultry can fly!

It will be the easiest thing to buy some bird netting and secure it to the top of the kennel. It will put your mind at ease, be easy to do, and cost under twenty bucks.

Have you considered shade for your dogs? Do you need to step up to a roof or tarp?

 

[ctchopper]

Thanks, everyone...that's what I was afraid of. I probably won't tarp, only due to aesthetics, but poultry netting might be a good answer. The dog run is actually partially covered by our patio. It extends 20 feet from the house and about 15 of those feet are shaded and on the patio. The last five are grass and uncovered. The 7 foot fence does not quite reach to the patio ceiling, though, so netting it is. My next problem will be explaining to my wonderful husband why there is ANOTHER chicken project . Spoiled birds, spoiled dogs. Why can't they just get along?