But if they are badly scared, they can and will go over it in a heartbeat! Chickens aren’t born to fly, and most common backyard breeds can’t flap far up into the sky, no matter how strenuous their efforts! Chickens are burst flyers. For instance, while some light chicken breeds may be able to easily fly over 6 foot fences, others may not. In practice, this means that your chickens may be able to fly over your fence and escape your yard. Thereof, how high should a fence be for chickens? They are able to fly enough that their flight lasts about 13 feet, up to 6 feet off the ground. One got a touch over excited when I was walking over with some treats and she mis-calculated the fence perimeter and ended up on the other side of the fence. I have 2 young light sussex who are quite flighty and could fly over the fence if they wanted. So keep an eye out for that fence! And the same applies to heavyweight breeds when faced with a 4 foot fence. So How Far Can a Chicken Fly? Still, when danger lurks or better foraging can be found on the other side of a fence, a determined chicken will take flight. Chickens can fly! I clipped one wing and they learned to fly with the other. How old are chickens when they can fly? You may need to do this if your chickens are likely to be able to fly away over a fence, but bear in mind that it will also make it harder for them to fly away from any predators. A fence to keep chickens in has to be 6 foot or 1.8 metres high. They start laying at about 6 months of age. How high can chickens jump? The chickens were roosting in the coop nest boxes at that time, so the cavities were poopy and unpleasant. I'm ready to start chickens - just 3-6 birds for eggs for now. Depending on the breed, chickens will reach heights of about 10 feet and can span distances of just forty or fifty feet. I once watched one of our Australorps climb over the fence. I re fenced my garden this year to stop chickens from getting in there most especially when the tomatoes are ripe. But lighter breeds can fly over six feet high. The shrubs’ branches also keep predatory hawks at bay. My OEG Bantam can fly over the 5 foot and can even fly 30 or 40 feet high up in a tree. Chickens can fly very high. They are not designed to travel long distances like migratory ducks and geese. If properly motivated, a chicken can fly high enough to clear a 6 foot fence. Silkies and Polish chickens don’t usually demonstrate any want to fly. Flying over the fence can seem like a good idea to them. Granted, a chicken doesn’t fly much anyway because their body mass prevents them (in most cases) from getting more than a few feet off the ground. When dealing with the natural world, it's often better to deter than to prevent. So as to breed question, some breed will be much more likely to fly over your fence. Plus, only feathers that have fully grown in should be clipped--DO NOT CLIP GROWING FEATHERS. As a matter of fact, your chickens will fly exactly where you don’t want them to. And just for every ones info. If their wings are left intact, they can, and some will, fly over a seven foot fence and roost and nest high in the branches of a nearby tree. In the open, chickens can fly over a fence only 3 feet high, but by running the fencing along the outer branches of the shrubs, I created a “no fly-zone” along the top of the fencing. You’ll have to wait about 6 months for eggs. I am thankful for the video. ... 3 1/2 months old and they can fly over the 8 foot wooden fence. And fences won’t keep hawks and other predators out. Question: Can chickens fly? The average chicken can fly for about 10 feet, and about as high off the ground. Most people think of chickens, like ostriches and penguins, to be flightless birds, but on the contrary, chickens can indeed fly! There are some lightweight chicken’s breeds such as Leghorns, Araucanas, and English Games. I do not clip her wings because she needs them to evade … But lighter breeds can fly over six feet high. Since the pullets started flying over fences right when they started to lay, though, they ended up choosing random spots in the weeds to cache their eggs. Unless you put a cover on the top of your yard, there's no way to keep predator birds like that. How to keep chickens from flying over fences. I put them back in their run and they flew out again. Well, in a manner of speaking. My fence is 6ft tall. Putting some wire fencing or mesh on top of your existing fences should keep … At that height, I could also just step over the fence on the rare occasions I needed to get inside. Last year, another neighbor brought his tractor over to till our garden, and I hadn't moved the chicken tractors far enough away. Most domesticated, heavily weighted chickens may struggle a lot to fly over a fence including Orpingtons, Australorps, and Plymouth Rocks. The Buckeyes cannot fly over the 4 foot fences as they are too heavy (so I don't have to clip their wings). She bought us an eight hen coop and six chicks, and three of them turned out to be roosters. I have 4 living in the rafters of my barn and that fly out of a 7 foot fence… Different breeds have different aptitudes for flying. So, they can swoop up your dog. Chickens can fly, albeit not well. Most farm suppliers do one or two chick orders a year, so you can get your chickens where you plan to get your feed. The average chicken can manage flights of 10 feet high or 3 meters for a distance of 50 feet or 15 meters. Chickens have been known to fly over fences as high as six feet. Some breeds are more able than others. Actually –  anything under 4 foot and they’ll probably find a way to jump on and over. Being similar in flight skills to game birds, chickens were never the greatest fliers, and lack the skills for sustained flight, but they have been known to fly for as long as 13 seconds and a distance of 301.5 feet . They may get a few feet off the ground for a short distance. I … The longest recorded flight of a modern chicken lasted 13 seconds for a distance of just over three hundred feet. Depending on the breed, chickens will reach heights of about 10 feet and can span distances of just forty or fifty feet. Again, the answer is yes. Yes, hawks/owls can swoop up large rabbits, which can easily be about 4lbs or more. Some chickens will use the hover ability to, claw their way up and over a 6-foot fence! Although some heavier breeds won’t make it over your average fence, a lighter breed might. There are many factors that may influence chickens to fly over a six foot fence: And that isn’t the only method of escape they’ll employ. The chickens (and guard dogs) can also go under the trailer for shade during the day. In fact, some chicken owners like to say that it’s less likely the foxes will come to their chickens and more likely the chickens will go out to meet the foxes. So my question is: with this much free range area, and not too many birds competing with each other, will they still be inclined to fly over that 6 foot fence into the neighbors' yards? Although this isn’t a normal practice, you can clip one of their wings if it becomes a problem. And even within the heavier breeds, you can always have a few birds with enough determination and wing strength to get high off the ground. They’re usually under $3 each. For one, poultry can fly over it. Medium-sized chickens such as Wyandottes and Orpingtons have a very limited “flight”. A small-breed chicken can reach heights of about 10 feet and distances of up to 50 feet. Typically, chickens can't fly, and what they can do is very limited. They flew in the morning and they flew in the afternoon. The fence is less than four feet high. When we started,our knowledge about chickens was next to nothing, my sister in law thought it would make a great surprise gift one Easter. I clipped both, and they hopped. Their small wings are covered in down that makes them impossible to fly well compared to other breeds. Confining the chickens to a fenced-in yard is a better option for suburban backyards, but many chickens, especially the lighter weight breeds, can fly over a 6-foot barrier. A picket fence, however, lacks a good perching spot and they’re leery of jumping over anything if they don’t have something to grab onto. I went with 6 foot tall welded wire and it is working quite nicely. Even domesticated chicken breeds can clear a 4-foot fence if they wanted to escape from a perceived threat like a fox, cat or pet dog. I have a lot of pens that have netting across the top----that for sure will stop them. (15 Posts) Add message ... We have got 6 foot walls or fence all round but the ground goes up in a couple of places so the drop is only in effect about 3-4ft. They flew over a six foot high fence. Again, this problem was exacerbated by our neglect. Answer: Yes! This might seem a bit obvious but it really is an effective method. When chickens have all their feathers, they can actually take flight. Most breeds do not fly particularly well, so it is not usually necessary. Although you can clip a chicken's wings or make the fence higher, I prefer to figure out the reason the chicken is trying to flee the coop and fix that. Chickens can hop a long way, it seems. They can and they most certainly will. Its rare that I have one to fly over one of my uncovered top fences, if I do---when I catch her I clip one of her wing feathers. My chickens stay in our yard, and don't go over the fence between us and our neighbors, normally. Some chickens are flightier than others. 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