Hen on the run Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Can anyone help with our mad chickens? We have 3 Ambers, all around 22 weeks old. Only 1 is yet laying. We've had them for 6 weeks and they have an eglu classic in our suburban garden. They spend part of the day in the eglu & run and part roaming the garden - normally the latter part, once we're back from school. We have had some issues with them jumping on their run, then on to the fence around our garden (5ft to 6ft) not least because unless they jump back down on to the run, its too high for them to want to leap down and they get stuck. I've shooed them off the fence a few times. We've lost them over to the neighbours twice too. I've just been out to lock them away and found them all roosting up on the fence. What can I do? How on earth do I stop them from jumping onto the fence? Their wings are clipped on one side. I've put silver foil on a string along the fence line closest to the run, to scare them off it, but its not working. Any ideas much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffy chick Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Crikey. I personally prefer to clip both sides of the wing but that's just me. One of my blue belles flew straight over my head when we first let her out but after doing their wings they just run and flap and go nowhere Could you move the run further away from the fence? Or put something on top of the run to put them off jumping on it? Or fence off the run from the sides? Could you add a picture of your garden it might help with ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 We have 4 hybrids, one of which is an amber. Shes the only one to escape the netting, and jump over the neighbours, and today I saw her standing on the edge of water butt! It's not covered. Her wing is clipped, so I don't know what else to do but it doesn't really matter if she escapes the net. (In our case, probably not yours) I think ambers are notoriously flighty. Sorry not much help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 my Light Sussex enjoys perching on the 4ft high gate to their WIR... despite having a wing clipped. All our young girls can jump over the gate, but not actually land on it. I just hope they dont jump on the , then go over the fence like with hen on the run, when we move it back into the WIR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 If clipping a wing doesn't work I'd cover the run. If it's too big to roof then perhaps some fruit net over it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I've just dealt with exactly the same problem. I'm looking after some hens for a friend, who have turned out to be very jumpy They are jumping on top of their ark, then a short hop onto the fence, then over into the neighbour's garden. Wing clipping has made no difference. I have finally solved the problem by affixing some of those plastic anti-burglar/anti-cat spikes (this sort of thing) on the apex of the ark so they can't use it as a launch pad for the fence. Could you do something similar? Perhaps fixing some of those spikes on top of your fence to stop them hopping up there? Other than that, your only other option really is to put some kind of roof on your outside pen, even if only some netting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen on the run Posted April 14, 2011 Author Share Posted April 14, 2011 Thanks for the ideas - our girls get free run of the garden in the afternoons / early evening, otherwise they're totally contained within their eglu run. I can't really move it from alongside the fence, but the fence spikes look an excellent idea. Better check with my neighbour first though! Short term idea for the day was a line of string an inch above the top of the fence line, so that they are disuaded from landing on a non-stable surface. Might have a go at clipping their other wing, but thought wing clipping was about unbalancing for take off? I don't want to rebalance them! Have I got it wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffy chick Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Might have a go at clipping their other wing, but thought wing clipping was about unbalancing for take off? I don't want to rebalance them! Have I got it wrong? I think either work but some birds still manage an impressive jump! Clipping one wing unbalances them but clipping both keeps them balanced but makes flight next to impossible. Worked well for mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eve Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 i have 3 hybrids one a amber star who is the only one to get on our 6ft fence.she dose it at least once a wk. ive clipped her wing shorter but she just uses anything in the garden to jump on.she is easy to pick off the fence and hasnt ended up in next doors garden yet..think its just how she is.noisy!! glad some1 else is having the same prob,thought it was just me!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teresa58 Posted September 11, 2021 Share Posted September 11, 2021 The problem I am having is that one of my hens is actually climbing up the fence. I have watched her just hop up on it and then walk her way up and over. I am not sure what to do to stop that. I am totally surprised by how resourceful hens are. When they want to go exploring they find a way to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
