Will chickens perch on a picket fence???

[Msbear]

I always heard the myth that chickens can't or maybe just avoid perching on picket fences. and also heard they won't fly over a relatively high one because of the uneven surface of the fence. Is this true? Does anyone have any experience with this? Thanks, erin

 

[mmajw]

If you think they can't fly over it, they can. I dont have a picket fence but I bet if they can find a way to perch on it they will.

 

[herechickchick]

I came home one night to my Buff orpingtons (VERY fat chickens) roosting on top of the 7ft fence. So I would say yes.

 

[JFord]

I would say definately YES. In my last set of free roam chickens, my rooster stood at the top of my lot corner pole all the time. It is at least 6 ft. tall.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I have a fence that is more than 5 feet tall and my standard chickens perch every night. I had special perches made for them to roost but they prefer the fence. I gave up that battle weeks ago when they showed me that they would do their own thing.

 

[John T]

I have a couple of hens that can give to the top of the shed roof (8ft).

 

[Msbear]

Thanks so much everyone. I know some chickens are very capable of flying and can go over pretty high fences but I was always told (by my Dad -the chicken man) that the pickets themselves would deter the chickens because of the uneven boards. I thought that is why the old fashioned country home always had a picket fence around the garden -to keep the chickens out. We are building one now so I'll let ya know how it pans out

 

[HillCountryMomma]

We don't have a picket fence, but some of our fences are rather uneven, and the chickens still go on/over them.

My Americauna hens in particular really get up high. I had one on the roof of our house the other day! They roost on the free swinging long lights in my shop at night, must be 8+ feet up off the ground. Darn birds!

The rest of my flock roosts on a low wooden fence in my front yard. I've seen them sitting on everything except the barbed wire and the chain link. They will fly over the chain link fence, but they don't like to stand on it. I've seen them land, wobble, and then quickly fly off.

My garden has 6' woven field fence with a strand of barbed wire over that. Keeps out the deer and the chickens!

Liz

 

[Eggsactly]

Msbear
i was wondering how your fence came out and if your chicken are going over it. I have been wanting to know the answer to the same question you had. We were planning to put up a tall fence to keep our chicken in the yard and out of the flower bed, but I had heard chickens will not g over a picket fence. Is it true?

Thank you

 

[Msbear]

WOW, Eggsactly, bringing back this post brings back so many memories for me. We have since moved and I am planning on building a picket fence around my garden because I have NO tomatoes... those turkeys and chickens are cleaning me out! I know it will work because...

we built one around the backyard at our previous house as I mentioned earlier in this thread. It DID work! For two years, I NEVER had one chicken fly over it. It was only 40" tall too. We made our own pickets and put them very close together to create sort of a screen as a major road is directly on the other side. The pickets are sharp angled and the chickens see that as not being something to jump up and land on so, they avoid it altogether. I am sure someone will chime in with their story about a chicken who did but, I think for the most part, it should work



I always remember seeing these fences around old homestead gardens and now I know why!