TIL: Fence top roller bars - do they keep chickens in?

[BigBlueHen53]

Let us know how it works. I'd love to have a garden but my inly area has a 4-foot fence they can easily scale.

 

[NatJ]

I thought about that, but it’s hard to imagine a chicken flying to the wobbly fence top, and then clinging on while squeezing through the gap.

But these are chickens, so of course anything could happen.

Either the roller is just a little bit higher than the wobbly fence, so it is easy for the chicken to just fly over both.

Or the roller is quite a lot higher than the wobbly fence, so it is easy for the chicken to fly through the gap.

Either way, I just don't see it making much difference.

Of course it depends on the individual chicken, but since she is already so good at getting out, I think she will keep finding a way unless you completely cover the run. Unfortunately it sounds like covering the run may not be practical.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Either the roller is just a little bit higher than the wobbly fence, so it is easy for the chicken to just fly over both.

Or the roller is quite a lot higher than the wobbly fence, so it is easy for the chicken to fly through the gap.

Either way, I just don't see it making much difference.

Of course it depends on the individual chicken, but since she is already so good at getting out, I think she will keep finding a way unless you completely cover the run. Unfortunately it sounds like covering the run may not be practical.

It’s a movable yard-ranging area, rather than their actual run, but yes, I’m beginning to agree.

We had aerial netting over this particular area and let it slide with the fencing changes, but I think it’s time to bring it back. (There’s a lot of natural cover in the form of rhododendrons and azaleas.)

 

[Penpal]

They only land on the fence if they are looking for a roost. My chickens used to fly right over the 4 foot electric netting. Heavy birds aren't supposed to be able to do that, but the Australorps, Rhode Island Red, and Plymouth Rocks all did. The Brahmas do not fly out.

 

[NatJ]

They only land on the fence if they are looking for a roost. My chickens used to fly right over the 4 foot electric netting. Heavy birds aren't supposed to be able to do that, but the Australorps, Rhode Island Red, and Plymouth Rocks all did. The Brahmas do not fly out.

It seems to depend on the chicken.

I've had some chickens that go straight over fences, but more that would fly up to hang out on top of the fence and later decide to come down on the other side. I sometimes wondered if they just wanted a break on the way, or if they really couldn't think well enough to realize that going over the fence was the way out!

 

[Mother of Chaos]

It seems to depend on the chicken.

I've had some chickens that go straight over fences, but more that would fly up to hang out on top of the fence and later decide to come down on the other side. I sometimes wondered if they just wanted a break on the way, or if they really couldn't think well enough to realize that going over the fence was the way out!

When we had a gate with a solid top bar, they used it as a way to touch base on their way out. Fly up, perch a second, hop down.

When they tried this on a floppy top, they would clutch franticly at the top, swaying back and forth, trying to figure out what to do. If nothing else, it made it easy for us (if we were around) to run out, detach them, and plop them back down on their own side.

 

[Fluffy_Butt_Hutt]

I think the easiest solution is trying to do a non-permanent chicken wire cover over the run. All my barred rock pullets (around 4.3 pounds) clear 5-6 feet daily

 

[NatJ]

I was just re-reading an old thread, and spotted this post:

I learned a very cool solution from the 1940s book Poultry and Rabbits on Scraps that I havent heard of elsewhere but is ingenious.

Erect a "tripwire": a thin wire or sturdy string of some sort about 6 inches above the top of the fence netting (you will need posts that extend beyond the top of netting, or zip-tie on some sticks as extensions). If erected properly and solidly and the "wire" is taught, this makes it nearly physically impossible to perch on the top (which is how chickens typically get over), and makes it difficult or impossible for those determined "climbers", because it obstructs their flapping wings as they try to clear the top.

Considering its a relatively easy feature to add on, and makes a much more secure fence, it can be well worth the effort. I had a fence section where multiple hens kept getting over multiple times a day, they were learning from each other and it was quite annoying; then i read about this method and perhaps twenty minutes of light work to erect a tripwire with some spare clothesline (and just on the side where they were getting over!) fixed the problem completely and permanently!

If you want it in context, it is on page two of this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/alternative-to-clipping-wings.1197805/

The idea is similar to the roller bar, but uses a thin string (easier & cheaper to put up, and harder for chickens to see which means it's harder for them to learn ways around it.)

 

[MROO]

Clip the flight feathers on one of her wings. It'll throw her off balance and keep her from going up and over. Hopefully, by the time she grows them back (her next hard molt,) she'll be out of the habit. If not, it's time to break out the scissors again!
Also - try putting in a swing, it may be just enough of a boredom breaker to satisfy her fidgets. They're easy to make. Just suspend a perch using nylon rope or clothesline cord (do they even make that stuff anymore? I'm still using my stash!) Chain can snag toes and cotton/natural fiber rope holds yuckies. Nylon is easily washed and can be bleached.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I was just re-reading an old thread, and spotted this post:

If you want it in context, it is on page two of this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/alternative-to-clipping-wings.1197805/

The idea is similar to the roller bar, but uses a thin string (easier & cheaper to put up, and harder for chickens to see which means it's harder for them to learn ways around it.)

Thank you, that’s definitely worth trying out!