How do keep my chickens in my run? One got out and something killed it...

[paintedChix]

I've clipped my chickens wings but my leghorns get out. The fence is 6 feet high but they keep escaping, and one got killed. Is there anyway I can keep my chickens in? I would cover the top up so the run is completely enclosed, but we have our orchard trees in there.

#1 - did you only clip one wing on each chicken? If not, they can still balance to get some bounce & enough height.

#2 - Leghorns are some of the best flyers, hands down. Unless completely covered, they may not stay in a run...

#3 - what type of orchard? How big are the trees? Can you prune them to 10- 15' heights? There are folks that do netting, even over trees. Easier & a lot less $, if trees maintained at semi-dwarf or dwarf heights.

# 4 - as I'm finding out, you may have to do chicken tractors. That will keep them "safe" w/I your 6' orchard fencing. This is the 1st year, since 2018, that I've had predators dig under tractors & take out whole flocks. Had always planned on doing hinged aprons, but had not gotten to it yet...

#5 - you could set up electric poultry netting in rectangle or square formation. Then net over that. It's a PITA to move, but it DOES work. I had stray dogs jumping over both our 4' pasture fence & the electric poultry netting. Also had hawks drop down into netted paddocks...

Probably more ideas...

I am not meaning to be tyrannical or judge, just things, since 2011, that I've learned. Everytime I turn around on this property, I learn something new! Or that I've not FT Knox-ed enough...

I've had just as many issues w/ domestic dogs w/ all the building around us... Wildlife is constantly being moved out of those areas, too, into the 11+ acres we have not & didn't want to clear... In all actuality, I wanted to remove some pine, scrub oak & Hawthorne & replace them w/ fruit & nut trees. That will still house lots of natural predators.

Edit to add - i didn't read before doing my 2cents worth... See Gtaus addressed same issues & i have learned somethings, too! Others as well...

 

[TOMTE]

Both raccoons and opossums will eat just the head and neck of a chicken. It's chock full of nutrients (brain and eyes). A large, powerful raptor like certain hawks, owls, and eagles might also rip the head off to carry it somewhere else to eat, if the chicken is too large and awkward to fly off with. Looks like it was eaten off though because it's pretty clean. My guess is raccoon.

 

[gtaus]

We have been clipping both of the wings... That makes so much sense, thank you. If that doesn't work, I will have to try bird netting because I can't keep losing chickens like this

Clipping just one wing might solve the problem. If not, the bird netting has almost no weight and can be attached to a wire fence without a top rail by just using some zip ties. I have T-Posts and 6-foot tall 2X4 inch wire fencing for my chicken run. I just zip tied the bird netting directly to the wire fencing and it works fine.

But, as I said, you might have to provide some pole/support in the middle if your run is too long/wide and the bird netting sags too much. My run is 13 feet wide, and I don't have to use any support poles in the middle.

 

[CoopBoots]

I have this problem. Big, open top run. I know it isn't secure; the point is to keep my chickens close to my house where I can hopefully intervene when predation occurs. But certain chickens make a habit of going over and yes, there are foxes in those fabulous woods. What I've learned/attempted so far:

1. WHY are they flying over? In my case, it is usually flighty, skinny pullets getting bullied out of the best resources because my run, while very big, gets too small when I let my broodies do chicken math. But then...

2. They have established a habit. It is inevitable that once they've escaped, they realize there is more forage/dustbathing locations/nest sites on the outside, rather than in. Even if you fix the original "why", they are trained and motivated to continue if you didn't catch it early.

3. A motivated bird will tempt and train the others. You'll have more problems if troublemaker(s) continue to demonstrate escape tactics.

I have four pullets I didn't solve for early, and one hen with a less frequent habit. What I'm doing:

Rehabilitation: wing clipping plus "jail time" (inescapable enclosure INSIDE my run, complete with roof, for the pullets). As they are laying, they are establishing a preferred egg/nest location with each other INSIDE my run, that they will want to return to. They are also bonding with the older hens via look-but-no-touch exposure, and have unlimited food and water access in their own little social group. I'm gradually releasing one pullet at a time to test my success on retraining. One out of four has rejoined the main flock and doesn't escape without the others influencing her. One is still a problem and returned to jail. The other two I have not tested yet, but we've been rehabbing for almost two months. My hens grow heavy as adults and the likelihood of escape gets less the more time goes by.

Culling: Much as I hate to, habitual or untrainable behaviors will eventually lead to dinner. I'd do the same for proven egg eaters, bullies that draw blood, or problem feather pickers. The big hen already makes this list for both occasional escapes and unacceptable levels of bullying. My broodies will replace her, even though it is a shame to waste a good egg layer. I'm expecting two of the other pullets will probably end up the same, but not until I finish the jail attempt.

Edit: I should add that I intend to expand the run quite substantially soon. I do believe the heart of the issue is space / resource access. If I couldn't do that, I'd probably just accept that I needed to keep a slightly smaller flock for my fences to be effective.