# Fencing in the Chicken Yard



## magilarilla (Jan 9, 2009)

I'm finally, finally, finally getting chicks after dreaming about them so long! Before they can be ordered though, I need to fence in the old chicken yard and fix up the chicken coop so their home is ready and awaiting them. We're looking at sinking the posts 30-36 inches deep and then stringing up the livestock wire between. Here is where I would deeply appreciate some advice...what height of livestock wire would you recommend? We were thinking of using livestock wire rather than chicken wire in more of an attempt to keep animals OUT rather than keeping the chickens in. Also, would LOVE to hear any cost-effective suggestions that anyone else has used successfully!


----------



## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

Livestock wire won't keep animals out. The only only thing that will be even remotely effective at doing that is hardware cloth. And you'll need to bury it if you want to keep out the ones that can dig (most!) 

If you're not concerned with keeping the chickens in, why fence it at all? Just train them to the coop and lock them in at night.


----------



## Gabriel (Dec 2, 2008)

Personally, I'm not fond of permanent yards. Eventually it turns into a hard packed, vegetation free desert. I like movable pens. More work, but not that much imo. 










I'll sometimes let them out in the evenings, about 1 hour before dark if I'm going to be around to keep an eye on them. They don't have time to run off or get into trouble. I only stick around because I have tremendous predator pressure.


----------



## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Height depends on your chickens.
Some breeds can fly well, and others barely leave the ground.

6 feet will keep most birds in.

I'd use 2 X 4 welded wire fencing, unless the "livestock wire" you had in mind is 4 X 4


----------



## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

we use to use 2 4ft high like goat fencing and stack it so its 8ft high no top and we used 2ft chicken fence around the bottom 

but now i just have a 4ft fence wrapped around a pasture fence its a pretty big area but ya they do eat every thing but i just throw old hay down and they kick through it and help keep the mud down and they fly over the top but i dont really care any more i have 4 ducks that got out and i thought they would be dead in a week going on 2 years now and there not dead they chase the cats away even the big tom cats that come around this time of year and even my dog leaves them alone most times so i guess the cats just dont want ducks or the chickens any more (knock on wood) 

if your not gonna have alot of chickens id look at making or buying a chicken tractor i know id like to have one but i have too many chickens most times to have them all fit in there but it would work great in the fall when we have to cut every thing from out garden and throw to them


----------



## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

2x4 welded wire works well. The 5 or 6 ft tall will keep the heavier breeds in if their pen is large enough. You might want to put netting across the top if the birds fly out.


----------



## magilarilla (Jan 9, 2009)

Thanks everyone for the responses! I probably should have clarified a wee bit more. The chicks will start out in the coop, get access to the yard when a bit larger and I would like them to ultimately have day-time free-range access in most weather once they are more mature. 

That said, I will admit that I would feel more secure having an option to keep them semi-contained until I see how safely they can free-range during the day. I really do appreciate all of the advice I've gotten so far. Like I said, this will be my first time with chickens (as an adult) and I really want to do it properly for both the chickens and for myself.


----------



## suelandress (May 10, 2002)

Our Brabanters can clear a 6 foot fence with no problem 

After years of predator problems, we are starting all over with the most extreme measures we can think of.....buried wire, top netting, and at least 2 rows of hot wire around the lower level. Since we can't dig around the coop, a couple of feet wide layer of hardware cloth around the coop.

Predators are persistent and very creative when they want a meal. Depending on where you live, you may never be able to keep all of them out. We're surrounded by rivers and lakes and wetland......and they know where the buffet is.....


----------



## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

ya my little white rooster flew up on top our house one time when he got out and the porch roof was at least 10ft high from the ground and to get to the top of the house was another 6ft and he flew all the way back down after i got on the roof and went to catch him he flew off and went pretty good but i think tired to land on the fence and ended up hitting it hard 

and my easter eggers can fly over 6ft and not even think about it 

so if you do 4ft id put a top on it so they dont get out


----------



## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

For a permanent containment coop, what about the 6' chain link dog fencing panels? I have some kennels set up from my dog breeding days. I put hardware cloth around the bottom for snakes (about 18") and bird netting on the top to keep ravens out of my eggs. I don't have a lot of predator pressure, but chain link ought to keep them out of the pen. Won't keep a raccoon from reaching in, but weld wire won't stop them either. Nice thing about chain link panels is that you are reconfigure them later if you want to move or to change the set up. Just a thought, I don't know how much you want to spend. 

We built a yard with wooden posts and heavy duty chicken wire, hard ware cloth along the bottom. It seems to work really well here, but it is inside a chain link fence and we live in town. Our possible predators (seen in town) are coyotes, skunks, ravens, hawks, owls, mice, snakes and rats. We're not likely to see much more and the only ones I know to have been a problem are mice, rats and that darn raven stealing eggs!


----------



## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Since you will free range them, you won't mind them flying out. You will need a hot wire near the bottom to keep the smaller predators out.


----------



## Guest (Mar 29, 2010)

I have a fence around my garden and in the fall, after the garden is done, i move my chickens into the garden. I made them a coop in there, too. They do an excellent job of cleaning up. Every week(if its not wet) after the first of February, I'll go in there with a tractor and turn over the dirt. That way the grubs and seeds are constantly turned to the surface and the chicken droppings turned under. When I'm ready to plant the garden, I move the chickens to another area. I have 4 large areas fenced in and am going to do 2 more so that I will always have fences to repair, and places for chickens.


----------

