BiBiBi Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 After 6 months of letting my chickens run amok in my garden, it's time to build them an enclosure, otherwise I wont get any crops! I had three over-winter lettuces left, protectected by chicken wire, my partner took the wire off to dig over the rest of the patch, forgot to put it back before he let them out again, and within half an hour they had eaten the lot. Like blimmin' locusts they are! Bad birds! Anyway, we are fencing off a large corner of the garden for them and I'm wondering how high the fence should be to keep them in there. Will 4 feet be plenty or do I need 6 feet? Thanks for reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mabelandflosmum Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 My fence around the veg plot is 4 feet and it keeps out my ginger nut rangers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 4 feet to keep them in but be aware that it wont keep foxy out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky1 Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 We have 4 feet around a veggie plot - kept them out all year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockadoodle1 Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 I started at 3ft with a net mesh fence and all was well then I moved them off the 'lawn' and erected a more solid fence made of wire mesh left over from my WIR. They got on top of this at 3.5ft so I went higher with netting on top with a 3 sided frame, they got over that at 4.5ft. Next stop is 6ft mesh That will stop them........I hope!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiBiBi Posted March 10, 2010 Author Share Posted March 10, 2010 Thanks for all the replies. I hope we will be ok with a 4 ft fence, seems the consensus that 4 feet is adequate, with 1 exception....or has anyone else had trouble with aerodynamic chooks leaping over 4ft? Btw, I've got 2 Gingernut Rangers and 1 Miss Pepperpot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wantchooks Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 My neighbour's chickens have been coming into our garden while free ranging and demolishing our plants after having cleared out my neighbour. To save her garden and to keep them in, last weekend she bought some Omlet netting and fenced off a corner of her garden. We watched her let them out of the coop and into the run at 8am before she went to work and at 8.10am, lo and behold, there they were happily pecking at large in the garden So how high is an Omlet fence - 'cos that didn't work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foot-tapper506 Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 I started off with a 3' wire fence around the coop which kept my 4 girls in, but I wanted to make sure mr fox didnt join them so I put an old gazebo up and covered the whole lot with fruit netting which is secured at ground level! Looks a bit weird but it has worked - so far! This was meant as a temporary measure, but it has been in place for 6 months now. It makes it a bit fiddly for me to gain access as I have to keep lifting the net to get access to the gate, but if it keeps them safe that's fine with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jellykelly Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 Mine easily lept over a 4' fence. 6' done the job though!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koo2cat Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 High!! Mine is 4 1/2 foot and I have one that keeps escaping despite her wings being clipped! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 Thanks for all the replies. I hope we will be ok with a 4 ft fence, seems the consensus that 4 feet is adequate, with 1 exception....or has anyone else had trouble with aerodynamic chooks leaping over 4ft? Btw, I've got 2 Gingernut Rangers and 1 Miss Pepperpot. One of mine clears 12ft We started off with picket style fencing with a bit of weldmesh across the top. One chicken ended up hanging upside down from the wire so we took that off. We then added bamboo poles to the top of it with fruit netting tied between, up to 8ft high. This didn't stop my Vorwerk so we ended up adding some more and it's up to 12ft. We also pruned the pear tree and anything else she could use as a launching pad but she does it from a standing start. Should add that she does it rarely now and also doesn't have a wing clipped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiBiBi Posted March 10, 2010 Author Share Posted March 10, 2010 ......Hmmm..... I guess it depends partly on the breed, build and temperament of the chickens.... I think we probably better get the 6 ft fence .....anything less may end up a false economy... Many thanks for all your replies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
