Urban Setups... looking for ideas and advice!

[The Burg Peeps]

I am wondering what setups people have who live in urban areas with an average 1/4 acre lot. If people could post some photos, I would love to get some inspiration. We have a setup already but now have concerns about them getting out of the yard over the fence since they are able to hop right on top of the coop. I am hoping for some inspiration and ideas from what other people have done and had success with.
Here is a photo of our current setup. Our chicks are 6 weeks old and are growing fast and I think they may be able to hop out soon enough.

 

[Kaitie09]

You could always just take bird netting and cover the top. It could be stapled to the far back fence, and then either come down at an angle to the short fence, or you could just add to the short fence so that it is as tall as the tall fence.

 

[DazeGoneBy]

Clip the tips of the flight feathers on one wing only. It puts them off balance and they can't fly away. I'd be more worried about critters getting your birds, than your birds getting out. Looks like you have used good hardward cloth (wire mesh) on your fencing, which completely goes to waste with the top open like that.

Of course, if they are only out of their protected coop when you are hanging out with them, then the only predator you might worry about is a hawk (which I understand will take a chicken right in front of you) or a curious cat...but cats won't take on a full grown chicken.

Raccoons are vicious, as agile as a cat (so could hop that back fence or dig under it), strong, with teeth that can easily cut through chicken wire, and do live in urban areas. They hunt at night, though.

 

[Horizon Structures]

Quote:
That's what I was thinking!

Also wondering about predators (like a raccoon or stray dog... probably don't have to worry about fox there) digging underneath the fence.

Other than that, love your set up!

I know you've already got your coop, but for anyone else in that phase of the process, our coops are super cute and look great in suburban / urban areas.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

Here is our set up on the side of our house. We have hard wire on top as well as the sides of the run. We have shade cloth over 3/4 of the top and the corrugated plastic on 1/4 to keep that area dry when we get rain. The girls also have shade under the Lil Chick Inn patio/floor. We have a mister set up and a/c in the coop.

The Cluck On Inn

View from the Lil Chick Inn

View from Cluck On Inn

remodeled Lil Chick Inn

 

[TheJuan-n-Only]

Here you go!

 

[ThinkingChickens]

We have a walk in run. I will tell you the chickens were more flighty in their younger days. Now they don't really go above 3.5-4 feet and that's even more rare.


The run by Raven Wren Designs, on Flickr

 

[georgiagail]

Here's a picture of ours with the roof we put on:

Gail

 

[allieloveschickens]

I have a similar problem with my chickens flying, though my coop and run are enclosed completely- I let them free range and they have started jumping onto and over the fence around my garden! Pesky birds! I think the wing clipping is a good option though, I think I will clip my girls wings tonight when they are sleeping. If you go to my page you can see my coop and run set up, I live about 10 minutes from down town San Diego, fortunately we have a big yard though

 

[DazeGoneBy]

Quote:
Love your setup, Gail. That is one predator-proof run!

Helpful howto on wing clipping found here on BYC:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-wingclipping.html