CHICKEN RUN

[ashamomodablam]

hi , can anyone tell me how high i need to make the chicken run fence

[red]

depends if you plan on covering it

[Mainer in Exile]

Depends on how smart your chickens are and how you build it. Mine is 1.25 meters high, with just a wire top. It's over 2 meters high where the gate is. Where the gate is, they have a target to aim for when they jump/fly over. They can't see the wire top of the lower section, so can't jump over.

The rooster is a bit smarter than the hens and takes it into his head every once in a while to simply fly over the fence. The hens haven't caught on yet. When they do, I'll have to make the whole thing higher.

Another thing that helps is to make the run big enough. If they have enough room, they won't try to escape: the effort is not worth the reward.

[tussilago]

It depends.

If yours are 'typical' laying hens and you live in an area where the fox is likely to make a day visit then go for a six foot enclosure. This should deter most foxes and keep the chooks in. You could add a mesh top too if you wanted.

If foxes arnt an issue then a four footer should be okay. If your birds are flighty consider clipping the wings to curb them abit. If you have 'fluffy' chooks like orpingtons then a few feet should suffice.

The OH has the buff sussex and blue orps in pens 3 feet tall with no mesh topping.
The pekins are in a 2foot high pen with no mesh topping.
Young growers (including the flighty and gamey breeds) are in a six footer with a soft mesh top. Though we have had them in a three footer with mesh top before.
The cornish game are in with the goat in a four foot high enclosure but being as they are big and heavy theres no chance of them hopping over!
Our marsh daisys are in a large aviary, so fully enclosed.
The ixworths are in a fully enclosed pen.
All others are free range.

[ashamomodablam]

thanks for all the advice