About Me

Choosing The Right Fence

It might not seem like a difficult decision, but finding the right fence can be hard to do. In addition to choosing a picket style, a color, and a height, you might also be concerned about abiding by city and neighborhood ordinances. However, all of these decisions are easy if you choose the right fence contractor. A few years ago, I found a great contractor who helped us to create a beautiful, functional backyard in a few weeks. Read this blog for more information about fences, contractors, and design styles that you won't regret a few years down the road.

Search

Latest Posts

Choosing The Right Fence

The Good, Bad, and Ugly About Installing a Fence for Backyard Chickens

by Chester Alvarez

Fresh eggs daily, rooster crows in the morning, and playful companionship–it is no wonder so many regular people are picking up a flock of chickens of their own to keep in their backyard. While keeping chickens is fairly easy, bringing them home will mean that you have to make some amendments to your property to keep them safe. One of the changes you definitely want to consider is installing a perimeter fence. Even though this is a straightforward change in your property, there are some good points to remember about the fencing you choose, some bad situations to avoid with your fence choice, and one ugly truth you have to keep in mind. 

The Good

It is a generated misconception that chickens cannot fly, but in reality, they can fly, just not very well. Therefore, installing a fence to keep the chickens in does not mean that you have to install a tall privacy fence just to keep them contained. Most of the time, a middling height fence will keep your birds in the yard, especially if you clip their primary flying feathers on their wings. This is an easy thing to do and prevents the chickens from gaining a lot of height when they jump up to fly. 

The Bad

Even though about any form of solid-structure fence or chain link fence will contain your chickens, you will still have to be mindful of outside predators that can make their way inside the enclosure. Raccoons, possums, and even coyotes or neighborhood dogs can be a threat to chickens. So it is a good idea to go with a fence that is installed a little under ground level to prevent them from digging under it. Plus, even with the fence enclosure, you will need a proper coop or shelter to keep your flock protected at night, as this is when most predatory creatures roam around.

The Ugly

Some types of fencing simply will not work to keep your chickens contained. Contrary to popular belief, chickens are pretty intelligent creatures. So if there is something beyond a fence they want to get to, they will definitely try. Because of this, some forms of fencing are not the best option. For example, chain link fencing is good as an enclosure and can be tall enough to keep your birds in, but a chicken on a mission could use the chained structure to climb if they are determined enough to do so. 

For more information, visit a fencing expert, like those at Hunt's Fence Inc.

Share