Fence Height

[Macy]

Hi, I'm looking for some advice on fencing height - to keep the hens in rather than anything else out at this stage.

I'm providing a new home to a Light Sussex thingy and a number of hybrid hens who are used to total free ranging - they'll be going in a significant area, just not a totally unrestricted one as before.

Would 4 foot be high enough to keep them in? Their wings aren't clipped, but I've no problem doing that.

There's a big jump in prices at the local co-op from 4foot chicken wire to 5ft and higher, so my original plans will have to be scaled back and I'd rather do that in fence height than the area the chickens have if at all possible.

[Macy]

[pennsylvannia planters]

My last fencing was 3m high (with no top cover), and several of my girls managed to flap/fly up the wire.
They would then sit on the uprights.
Although it was fun to sit and watch the wife trying to shoo them off with an 8ft cane. ;D ;D.
So my advice would be- make it totally enclosed with enough height for you to walk in.
Hope this helps.

[goodlife]

No I don't think 4 ft is enough..but you could use some fruitcage or pea netting to cover over..it is cheaper and as they see it above them they are not going to start jumping over, but you have to stretch it so it is not hanging loose and have birds getting court in it..
But each bird is different..some try escape and some are simply not interested..but you said yours are used to freeranging..well, they are not going to like being in pen situation without having a try for freedom..

[marc555]

i started off with 4ft fences and i turned my back for 5 mins and 1 chicken was in next doors plot eating their cabbages so i put bigger posts in and put up more wire to about 6.5ft and never had any more problems.

[ipt8]

six feet, although i used some electric fence that is a mesh thats only four feet and that keeps them in with no electric attached. I think the floppyness of it puts them off. A fence with a solid or rigid top is the worst because they can perch on it on the way out.

You will find 50 metre rolls of netting are much cheaper than 10 metre rolls. Buy from agricultural suppliers.

I am currently using some 6 feet tall pheasant net but dont know the cost as it was given to me as ends of rolls. It is 2" square mesh and works very well.

[Oldhippy]

It also depends on anything they can use as a staging post. I have five foot fencing but one intrepid bird would get on top of the coop and launch from there. It`s been fine since I moved the coop away from the fence.

[tonybloke]

you will need to put a top on it if you got any foxes about (they can climb over a 3metre fence)

[Geoff H]

I have a 4 foot high electric fence and my Light Sussex and Rhode Island Red have never got over it. I have some Speckledys and sometimes one gets out - I think it might be the same one each time. It doesn't need a staging post, it can fly straight out. I have got to sort out wing clipping but i will have to do all 6 Speckledys as I don't know which one is flying out.