Grow Your Own Magazine

I have more dumb questions from a wannabe Chicken keeper ! As I hope to keep 2 or 3 chickens in my garden and would like to let them free range occasionally is there a breed that does not fly much or at all. ??. I have neighbours and wouldnt want them to jump the fence, and does anyone know of a chicken supplier in the North east they can recommend?

Thanks again

As I'm not in the North East I wouldn't be much help on a breeder, but heavier breeds can't jump/flap as high as bantams for example.
A good breeder would also show you how to keep their wings clipped so they can't fly.
A med/heavy breed can get up to about 3-4ft and bantams/light breeds can get a bit higher.
If you explained your situation to a breeder they would probably be able to help you choose your birds based on this.

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I'd rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion.

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updated 14 May 2008

I have both light and heavy hens - the highest I have seen then fly is around 3-4 foot, but that is not to say that they can't go higher!

The usual recomendation is for at least a six foot boundary, this should have the added benefit of minimising the number of foxes that will now home in on you! To be truly secure you need to either bury a foot or so of the fencing or slab/pave around the border of the garden, lapping the fencing wire under the slabs to stop Mr Fox getting in and unfortunatly foxes can climb so the fence will either need to have an overhang (leaning out) at the top or some other method to stop Mr Fox such as a roof!

I accept I'm slightly paranoid - Mr Fox has been trotting down the garden and sitting at the gate into the hen run!

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The weeks and the years are fine. It's the days I can't cope with!

We don't clip our chicken's wings because of foxes, ours can fly up and sit on top of the 6 foot fence which encircles what we used as a run when we first got them, (we leave the gate open now) if you have to, then you can clip the wings, but personally, I wouldn't. The cockerals seem to fly up more than the hens

I live in the north west and every poultry breeder listing seems to be down south! I finally went to a local farmers shop (west cumbria farmers for me) - you must have one near and asked them. They told me of a farmer who would sell me some chickens. They are the hybrid, seen everywhere variety and don't fly as such - just flappy jumps. They are better at wriggling under the fence than flying over it. I would get some and then chicken proof the garden once you can see what they can do. If you are around when you let them out, you can always bribe them back with some corn if they make a bee line for the neighbour's garden. Good luck.