[netserve]

OK the hen house is in the final stage of building so I'm starting to think about the fencing.

T'm planning on having the day run fully enclosed and covered but I've also got a larger  secondary area that we can use while we're home that will be uncovered.  So my question is what sort of height fencing should we have

(we're looking at  golden rocket or sussex comets and I expect we'll clip a wing)

My other 'odd' questions are....

Having seen some commercial hen houses, the roosting bars are anything up to 3 feet from the ground but there's no ladder, can the hens jump that high or would you expect there to have been some steps?

Lastly, a really odd one.  A camp site that we visit often has quite a flock of hens but they roam the site freely with no fences and nothing to stop them wandering out of the park etc.  Do they have a defined territory around their coop that they'll stay close to if there are no boundaries?  Or is there something that I've missed that stops them wandering ? :-)

All being well I'll put some pics up tomorrow of the building of the hen house for comment :-)

[treacleminer]

Hi netserve
re-fencing - I have an 'omlet' type removable fence to give an extra area and it's about 4 ft high.  Occasional escapee, sometimes underneath, or if it has been put too close to our box hedge (2'6") they will sometimes fly over it and land on the hedge - and then wonder why they are sinking!  but mine haven't got clipped wings at the moment.
No idea about the answers to your other questions.  Mine if give half a chance do seem to think the neighbours garden is part of their territory!

[karlooben]

hiya my run is 8 foot high complete with a roof to keep out the foxes as the girls will have complete freedom in  32 metre {all round } run from dawn to dusk.i know only to well i  have foxes in the allotments so i am doing everything possible to protect the run.

[FCG]

I have a 3-4ft high fence around my chickens run and i only get the one hen escaping. It's always her (Tarbuck) and never the other two. She is quite bigger than the other two in the leg so i guess they have the spring in. I haven't clipped any of my hens wings either.

[richyrich7]

My other 'odd' questions are....

Having seen some commercial hen houses, the roosting bars are anything up to 3 feet from the ground but there's no ladder, can the hens jump that high or would you expect there to have been some steps?

I reckon they would get 3' no problems mine can jump 3' easy , better if you put a simple ladder in for them, less chance of them hurting their feet.