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yesterday we rounded up our 4 hens and clipped their right wings. (Actually it was far more chaotic and energetic than that sentence makes it sound) I penned them in with their coop and at dusk I went to check on them. The buggers had scrambled up the ivy covered fence and were roosting in the plum tree which overhangs the pen fence. I fully expect them to be back at the kitchen window pecking for attention this morning. I want to stop them having the run of my backyard because I want to grow some veg and keep some soil in the garden beds. What are you best lazy quick fix ways to contain hens?

you could tie weights to their feet

That doesn't sound lazy enough. catching the blighters takes a lot of energy! I was thinking about netting the tree to stop them roosting in it?

Chickens are forest birds - they do what comes natural to them. I would cover the beds in the garden; I do that because of the cats that try to use my garden as a huge outdoor loo! I use - variously - nets, fleece, plastic, cages, old mesh-type tree guards - that always leaves a few unused areas for birds (or cats) to scratch in and behave how they are supposed to behave.

We used some lightweight fruit/garden netting over the tip of their pen which stopped our girls jumping out. Just put a few nails/hooks around the edge and pulled the netting tight and hooked it on, I laced 2 bits together with garden string.

My first batch of chickens would eye up a jump sideways (like they do) stare you down and (with clipped wings) flap/jump from a standing start up onto a 5-foot high wall.. I had to put lots of extra fencing in to contain them, and they were always escaping and getting lost/stuck.

The current batch just can't be bothered and have never even tried. I think it takes one just one adventurous bird and the others copy her.

Lol. I think different breeds have different jumping/flying abilities. I had a white (something, can't remember) bantam that flew up on my roof the moment the run door was opened but the Pekins would have to walk around a matchstick.