I've had chickens for years and used "stucco" wire that is used on houses. As the new place we have moved to is so rocky, for the posts, we have been using metal "T" posts. Not only is this wire on our chicken run, we have it running from iron peg to iron peg. I always keep "one" chicken wing trimed so they will be unbalanced and cann't fly. The only chickens I have had problems getting out were "white leghorns". We watched those gals walk up the 6' chicken wire, stand on the top and laugh at us. Good Luck

If you're strapped for cash, why not just tie the dog up or put it in the house for the hour or two just before sundown. That way you can let the chickens out and feel confident that they will return to the chicken house of their own accord at dusk. (If you are supervising your chickens anyway, you could also use the time to teach the dog that those birds belong to you and must be left alone.)

Exactly. I have kept my doggie (a terrier) away from my chickens for years because I thought he'd go nuts and injure them, but we was loose last week when my hubby was taking him for his daily constitutional up the back forty. He makes this big circle and confronts the chickens in the vegetable patch.

My heart was in my mouth, not only for the chickens but for the dog as I was afraid he'd make chase and head them all for the road. Instead, he made a big loop around them like a beagle on a rabbit and rounded them up and into the open henhouse door. LOL.

Some farm dogs just won't "let it go" where chickens are concerned and you may never trust them with a flock, but some can/do learn.

We keep the dog under leash or in house except for his evening walk and it is just easier to secure one dog than run fence.

all things considered, i have to agree with maggie & calliope. when we first got our chickens, they were kept in a hastily-made coop with bare-bones chicken-wire pen.
our chocolate lab was wildly curious about these interlopers in HER yard - we weren't watching when she easily dug under the unsecured fence and did what labs do:
she caught 4 chickens and had the poor dead things lined up by the back door for us, all in a row. she was promptly scolded and has never even shown any interest in them again (it's been 8 years) ... and our cat was VERY interested in watching them - from a safe distance. i think the chickens intimidated him a bit. on the other hand, a neighbor with chickens has a couple of little bulldogs that are determined chicken-killers - she's tried, they're not trainable - they stay inside when the girls are outside their run.

so, rather than deal with the perils of a cheapie fence, you can try to train the dog to mind his business, or just keep him inside while the girls are free-ranging in the nice grass :)

marsha