will chickens stay in this pen?

[pnp4kidz]

I just had an epiphany... about where to let my chickens free range...
I live on 8 acres, so you'd THINK I could, but no such luck... my neighbor's dogs, and my own dogs will chase and kill chickens...
I've lost too many now... so I keep them in coops with runs...
BUT... I recently got two dwarf Nigerian goats... and we had to make their hill dog proof... much to the dog's chagrin I might add...
ROFLMAO........
serves them right... they tried to EAT my precious goatie!!!
anywho...
If I build a coop in there, or figured out how to allow them to nest in my well storage tank house up top...
would they stay in this dog proof area?
my garden is up there... and the two little goaties... who will provide goat poop to scratch thru...
will my idea work????

I'm getting a dozen colorful eggs to hatch this week and hope to just have them as egg layers... not so much breeders... so I'd love to free range them...
make my dreams come true!!!

thanks!

the entire fence is about 4 -5 ft tall and all done in 2x4 no climb fencing (even the gates) to keep dogs OUT...
oh, and we have that electric fence with shock collars if I need some 'reinforcement' that it's OFF limits...
however... if the ladies leave the area, all bets are off...

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

That fence looks low to me. My best flyers can make it to the top of a 5' fence. My worst flyer can make it over a 3.5' fence with a high spot and a tailwind .

 

[pnp4kidz]

oh well shooot... .
so, if I can rig a two foot extension, will they stay in?
I have a ranch hand ( in lieu of a husband ) and so I can actually TELL him to do this... and it shall be done...
provided I tell him how, and show him the materials I bought for him to do it with...

there ARE advantages to this system I have...
and I'm seeing advantages to his lack of understanding basic building, (and English) so therefore he left those darn posts too tall, and they are still driving me NUTs..
but perhaps he gets a reprieve and I tell him to add a top row of chicken wire???

 

[pnp4kidz]

Oh, and that one pic shows, the hill on one side is steep... so, if a chicken really WANTED to, she could sit on top by the tree, and probably just jump over...
it's a cliff right there, and my fence is only a few feet from the cliff...
does that screw my plan?
can I just make my chickens fat so they can't fly (just kidding... )

 

[greenriver]

Big chickens will clear that easy.

 

[savingdogs]

I think it depends on your chickens. My Buff Orpingtons would not make it over but my other breeds would have no problem.

 

[pnp4kidz]

darn darn darn...
these are big breeds, mostly mixes with americauna, araucana, marans, and I don't know what!
but they lay really pretty pink, blue and green eggs...
and otherwise I raise Marans, Cuckoo and Black Copper, and Welsummers.
those stay in pens.

guess these will have to stay penned up too... poo

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

so, if I can rig a two foot extension, will they stay in?

I seriously considered doing this. I calculated the cost of putting a run a chicken wire up to extend the 5' farm fence. I needed 120 linear feet and some kind of supports. I ended up putting a big bird net over the top of my pen. But I believe that a fence extension would work if the birds are not super flyers. Mine have never made it higher than 5.5' as near as I can tell.​

 

[BooBear]

What about building a covered run to allow them play time in? Or use portable tractors that are predator proof to allow them some forage time?
Not sure how big the pens are that you currently have them in so just trying to be helpful.

 

[pnp4kidz]

My main birdies are in pretty good sized pens with runs, one is about 12 feet by 10 feet, with a nice two story plus attic hen house with roosts in the attic, nest boxes, then play land underneath in case of rain... that one has five birds.
the others are just pairs, and those pens are about 5 ft by 10 ft ish... with a hen house, roosts, and inside dirt to scratch if it's raining too.
they seem fine in there... I just wanted 'more' for my layers...
boo hoo...