There are many ways of keeping chickens, including free-ranging and keeping them in covered runs, but one of the simplest options is just to build a fence around them to keep them all in one place.
There are several ways to do this, depending on your situation – and for anyone who wants to try, here are 23 chicken fence ideas we found online that show you how to do it.
1. Make a Cheap, Quick Chick Fence – Little House in the Suburbs
If you need a quick and easy fix for keeping your chickens in one place – perhaps while you wait to install something more substantial – this short blog post might give you some ideas. As this blogger writes, building a fence might seem like a big deal until you try – and then all of a sudden, it becomes a whole lot easier than you realized!
2. All About Fences for Chickens – Chickens in My Garden
If you’re thinking about building some fencing to keep your chickens penned in so they can roam freely and forage where they will, there are more aspects to consider than you might first think. Fortunately, this video is here to teach you everything you need know about constructing chicken fences – and it also explains why asking how high the fencing should be is the wrong question!
3. DIY Rustic Chicken Tunnel & Fencing – Walkerland
The DIY rustic chicken tunnel and fencing this blog post shows us how to make is among our very favorite chicken fence ideas. We love the way it looks, and it’s also so easy and inexpensive to make. However, as you read the details included in the post, you begin to realize that it’s a little more sophisticated than it first seems – check out the plan to find out why.
4. DIY Electric Chicken Fence – Combahee Outdoors
If you want to make sure your birds stay where they belong, one way of doing it is to use electric fencing. The electric shocks aren’t powerful enough to harm the chickens – rather it just startles them a little. However, this is not something they particularly enjoy, so they soon learn to stay away. At the same time, it’s also highly effective at keeping climbing predators out. And if you want to know all the details of how to set one up, this video shows you what to do.
5. Pallet Chicken Run: DIY Pallet Fence Extension for the Flock
Here’s a great idea for how to extend your chicken run without spending any money – just use scavenged pallets to build a fence. It’s highly effective at keeping the chickens where you want them and preventing them from escaping, and we think it even has its own kind of rustic charm. What do you think? Check out the pics and make up your mind for yourself!
6. DIY Chicken Pallet Fence – The Grace and Greens
If you liked the pallet fence design in #5, here’s a video showing you a similar project to compare it with. That way, if you feel like trying something similar, you can take the best bits from both plans and combine them in a version of your own. Alternatively, you can simply copy the one you prefer – it’s up to you!
7. Chicken Fence/Run – Paul Mutton
If you live in an area where predators such as foxes, raccoons or hawks can be a problem, you’ll probably need to construct a covered, predator-proof chicken run to keep your birds safe. However, if this is not an issue where you live, you can simply place a fence around the coop to give your chickens somewhere to stretch their legs and peck about. Doing this could hardly be simpler – and if you want a basic model to follow, this video should help.
8. 5 Ideas for Building a Chicken Fence – Farmhouse Guide
In this blog post, you learn about not just one but five different ways to build a chicken fence using welded wire mesh, wood, chicken wire, electrical netting and chain link. That way, you can compare the different options side by side a weigh up the pros and cons before deciding which type of chicken fence is best suited to your needs.
9. Chicken Run Fence – Youngblood Family Farm
This YouTuber recently lost a few chickens due to inadequacies in his fencing system and possibly also the acquisition of a new dog that didn’t realize that chickens weren’t food. As a result, he set about upgrading his fencing, and in this video, he explains how he went about it. His solution was simple and cheap but extremely effective – and if you want to know what he did, click on the vid and give it a watch!
10. How to Make Chicken Wire Fence Look Great – Fence Frenzy
This is an interesting blog post not about putting up chicken fencing but rather, about how to make chicken wire fencing look more attractive. Some people might not care what their fencing looks like, as long as it keeps the chickens on the inside and predators on the outside. However, others might prefer to pay more attention to aesthetics – and if you are among the latter, this is a post you’ll enjoy reading.
11. Pastured Chicken Fence Cost Savings Build – Red Tool House Homestead
If you’re looking for a way to build a sturdy fence around a fairly sizeable chicken pasture, this video should be worth a watch. In it, this YouTuber explains why this type of large fenced-off chicken run was the best solution for him – as opposed to something like a chicken tractor or free-ranging. He goes into a whole lot of detail about how he constructed the fencing, which should help anybody who’s thinking of trying something similar.
12. How to Build a Chicken Wire Fence – Blain’s Farm & Fleet Blog
This blog post points out an important fact that most chicken keepers are probably unaware of – that chicken wire is not actually designed to protect chickens but rather to provide ventilation. That means if you’re trying to build a fence to keep your birds safe from larger predators, chicken wire alone won’t cut it. Want to know what to use instead? Then give the blog a read for the answers.
13. 7 Steps to Build a Chicken-Proof Garden Fence – Pest Pointers
When we talk about chicken fencing, most people probably imagine keeping chickens in – but for some people, the problem might be more about keeping chickens out. For example, if you have chickens and you also have a vegetable garden where you grow food for human consumption, keeping the chickens away from it will be of the utmost importance. And to help you learn how to do it, this post shows you what to do in seven simple steps.
14. Cheap Chicken Fence – Jenni Swiss
In this video, we learn how to make some cheap – but extremely strong – chicken fencing. To be fair, this fencing looks like it’s strong enough to contain a tiger, so there’s little chance of any chickens breaking out. It also incorporates a particularly unique artistic gate, which was a finishing touch we just loved. Check it out to see what we mean!
15. Temporary Chicken Fencing for the Backyard – Avian Aqua Miser
This blog post is all about how these chicken keepers made do with what they had available to them to make a chicken fence that would let their chickens take advantage of some seasonal grazing. It might not look pretty, but we think they did a great job – and we’re sure their ideas will inspire others to try something similar.
16. DIY Duck/Chicken Run Fencing on a Budget! – Homesteaders on the Hill
The YouTuber in this video needed to enlarge the fence around his duck enclosure, and this video tells you about how he did it. He gives you all the details you need about the materials he used and where to buy them, and he also explains clearly each step of the process. His fencing idea is a very basic one, but if you’re looking for a tutorial for something along these lines, this is a video that should help.
17. How To Build a Safe Electric Chicken Fence – typesofchicken.com
As this blog reminds us, keeping your flock safe from predators is paramount, and one of the most effective ways of doing this is building an electric fence. The version we learn how to make with this tutorial is simple to construct and above all, safe for your chickens. It’s a well-written plan too, so just about anybody will be able to copy it.
18. How We Built a Fence for Our Chickens! – MapleBoarder78
Here’s another great video showing how these YouTubers built a simple but sturdy wire barrier to fence off the chickens’ area of their yard and stop them foraging – and pooping – where they’re not supposed to go. It looks like hard work, but we like what they did. And now, as they say at the end, the chickens have their own private area in the backyard to occupy!
19. Building a Fox Proof Chicken Enclosure – thefencingstore.com.au
As everyone knows, foxes are cunning animals – so if you want to design an enclosure that will keep them out, you will need to be even more cunning. On the other hand, if you’re feeling your cunningness levels are not quite up to it, you can check out the cunning design this DIYer came up with – and if you like it, all you have to do to keep your chickens safe from those cunning foxes is build one of your own.
20. How to Build a Bamboo Fence to Prevent Chickens from Destroying Your Garden
We’re not sure how many people will find this video of any practical use because we don’t think many will feel like trying it out for themselves. However, we had to include it in our list since it’s fascinating to watch this amazing lady at work as she constructs a large bamboo fence to prevent chickens from destroying her garden using not much more than just a big machete. This is a truly impressive piece of work, and we loved seeing how she did it.
21. Chicken-Proof Your Garden! How to Keep Chickens Out of Your Growing Space
For those looking to chicken-proof their vegetable gardens, buying some cheap plastic fencing might seem like a good idea. However, although chickens won’t fly over it, they can easily push under it, so this kind of fencing won’t work. There is a solution, though, and this YouTuber explains it in his video – and it involves using plastic netting along with some other techniques to stop them getting underneath. Give it a watch to see what ideas he came up with.
22. My Chicken Coop & Run – Greg’s World
This video was uploaded by a YouTuber to show us how he built a roughly 100ft fence around his chicken coop after a move. What we love about this design is how tidy it all looks. The fence is so well built, and the gate looks highly professional. It even looks as though the chickens are taking great care of their lawn! He also gives us a few details about the coop and the rest of his setup, so it’s all info that chicken keepers everywhere will find interesting.
23. How to Make a Fox-Proof Fence for Cheap! – Field to Farm
To finish, here’s a fun video to watch that will give you a few ideas about how to build a fox-proof fence without spending a whole lot of money. This British YouTuber has a very dry sense of humor, and his video is useful as well as amusing – so give it a watch and see what you make of it.
Lots of great ideas to help you get inspired
Building a chicken fence is not a hard job, but as we’ve seen, there’s no shortage of great plans online for you to copy.
We’ve enjoyed collecting these plans for you, so we hope you’ve enjoyed reading and watching them all too. And above all, we hope we’ve helped you find the inspiration you needed to build a chicken fence of your own.
