Free Range Fences - How High?

Height is not really the issue, as a chicken can mount up to the rafters in a barn...I have some right now that are flying up to a rafter 8 ft tall.  You'll need a fence without any solid surface onto which they can mount up and no solid surfaces near the fenceline they can mount up to, and then fly over the fence, as well. 

You can get by with a 4 ft. fence as long as you extend your fencing material above any fence posts or gates by at least 4-6 in. or more.  Even then there may be enterprising chickens that will mount up to the thin wire of the top of the fence(there's always a few that will...mark my words), so if using sturdy fencing material, you may even string heavy fishing line above the fence top at 4 and 6 in. levels above the fence to keep them from being able to mount to the fencing.  Any fence post top or gate will be a point of exit if you don't take these measures, even if you have a 6 ft. fence. 

An even better option is using electronetting for poultry for your fencing, which will also deter foxes and dogs while they are out on range.  It's easily moved and a great investment for free ranging chickens when you don't have a good dog on guard. 

My daughter's chooks can get up onto the top of their coop and then over the fence into the paddock, but cannot get back as the top of the 1.5m fence is "soft" so they cannot perch on it. If they are spooked by something they can easily fly out of their run which has a 1.8 m fence... up and straight over the top without perching.

However, the main garden is surrounded by a mixed hedgerow made up of soft growth on the front and overhangs, rather than branches that provide perches, and this is a good, safe barrier. There is chicken wire in the base so they cannot walk out between sticks and visiting cats and foxes cannot get in either (unless they dig)

Would this help, David?

Thanks for all the advice everyone, youve given me alot to think about!

Im going to setup a seperate thread later on today to show my current setup and where I want to move to, any advice in the planning for the build would be amazing over in that section (Ill link it when I have it setup)

Look forward to it!