# Question on building a chicken run

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-building-a-chicken-run/970166>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 23, 2022, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-building-a-chicken-run/970166 "2022-08-23T14:37:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-building-a-chicken-run/970166/1 "2022-08-23T14:37:05Z")

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I am building a chicken run in a side yard to be ready for next spring. How high would I have to build the sides so it doesn’t need a roof for the chickens to fly out? Or more specifically would 6 feet be enough? Or do all chicken runs need roofs to keep chickens from flying out?

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**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-building-a-chicken-run/970166/2 "2022-08-23T14:39:17Z")

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Chickens can fly up at least 10’ and I’ve heard some as high as 15’.  
6’ though would be easy.

Reasons to cover it include keeping out animals like raccoons and birds of prey.

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**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-building-a-chicken-run/970166/3 "2022-08-23T14:40:14Z")

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Six feet ought to do it if they don’t have room to get a running start.  
But yeah, the roof is for predators.

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**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-building-a-chicken-run/970166/4 "2022-08-23T14:41:23Z")

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A lot of people clip the chicken’s wings. That is an option, probably some good YouTube videos on how to do so safely.

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**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-building-a-chicken-run/970166/5 "2022-08-23T15:25:56Z")

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Our barn paddock/chicken yard is fenced by a 5 foot high fence. A combination of fat chickens and a fence is usually sufficient. Any hens who escape the yard get their primary flight feathers trimmed.