do chickens stay within a boundry

[camkim]

Hi everyone. I'm planning on building a coop and getting chickens and was wondering if chickens would fly off a cliff. My backyard abuts a cliff and its about a 30 ft drop. I wanted to let them roam around.

 

[DavidKerk]

I don't think a chicken would jump off a cliff! They aren't very confident flyers so I don't think they'd dare.

 

[garyk1398]

Great question and wondering if you didn't have a fence, how far would they wander from the coop?

 

[dirtsaver]

I'm not sure if chickens would jump off a cliff. My first thought is no,then I think about some of the things our chickens have done.....and I begin to think ....maybe so,them birds ain't real smart sometimes. I've seen our chickens stand right on the edge of a rock ledge......and then fall into the pond from three feet! So,I wouldn't want to take the chance myself!

As for wandering off...they sure will! Some of ours have traveled into the woods,several hundred yards from the coop. They did come back,but with foxes,coyotes,bobcats not to mention feral cats and stray dog packs in the area.......well......we decided to fence in a "chicken pasture of almost 1/2 an acre. It's just less hassle and worry!

 

[7L Farm]

Probably gonna depend on the surrounding around your coops. Places to hide, trees etc. I live on a hundred acres & my chickens stay right around there coop. Never wonder very far.

 

[DavidKerk]

Yea, I think if you have woods or shrubs all over your chickens will be much more prone to wander. If you have a lot of field with not much cover around their coop, they won't be as likely to roam around.

 

[nova022]

My son's neighbor has quite a large flock of chickens an they wander freely from house to house. The lots are an acre and a half to five acres so they get a fair distance from home. Every evening you can see a parade as they make their way back home.

 

[schmism]

roosters or not?

my flock would wonder over to the neighbors with no rooster. the girls kinda went were they wanted. With roosters, they keep them much more contained to the main area around the coupe. mine wonder off in the woods espeically if i head back there, but again, it isnt long before the roo has them rounded back up and headed back toward the main house/coupe

id say my flock of 24 range a 100' radius around the barn 95% of the time. (thats .75 of an acre btw id say they range upto an acre tops)

 

[nova022]

roosters or not?

my flock would wonder over to the neighbors with no rooster. the girls kinda went were they wanted. With roosters, they keep them much more contained to the main area around the coupe. mine wonder off in the woods espeically if i head back there, but again, it isnt long before the roo has them rounded back up and headed back toward the main house/coupe

id say my flock of 24 range a 100' radius around the barn 95% of the time. (thats .75 of an acre btw id say they range upto an acre tops)

Amazingly she has about 10 or so roosters and I have never seen them fight. Usually the wanderers consist of a group of RIR hens and a rooster. Sometimes it will be two different groups of RIRs. She has Speckled Sussex, Light and Buff Bramhas and Hamburgs (?) which I have never seen outside the fence. I love to watch them, they are so funny. The nice thing is she told my son to keep any eggs they lay in his yard. So that is always a nice treat.