How do I keep my chickens in the yard???

[eggsellent]

My neighbor has cats and a very old dog, as well as a big beautiful rooster. They are all used to chickens and don't bother them. No other neighbors have pets. I live in a very rural conservation area with just a few houses in a cluster here. I will not be free ranging unattended either. I just am not sure how hard they will be to get back in when it is time, as I have not done it before. I am a clueless noob!

 

[Tala]

Quote:
Let them out an hour or two before dark, and they tend to put themselves to bed. Works great!!!

Or, some people bribe them back into the run with scratch or treats.

 

[Beekissed]

Well, my chickens always put themselves in the coop along about dusk...they just naturally head for the roosts at that time of day. I don't have to lock mine up, so I don't give them a second thought...they come and go as they please.

 

[eggsellent]

Quote:
Thanks, I can eventually fence an area for them but really want to be able to give them range time until then! I guess it will just be a careful trial and error thing! I will be out there the whole time anyway, I love those chickies!

 

[flowerchicks]

Although I do have a fenced yard, I was also afraid of whether I would be able to get the chickens back in the coop. They had lived in the coop for a few months before I let them out, and they were all relatively friendly and approachable, except for one. I let out the most friendly one first just for a bit, knowing I could "catch" her, then the next day a couple more escaped when I was letting out the friendly one, so I just let them all (4) out. I managed to corral them all in for the night and the next time I left them to see what they would do and they all went back "home". After all, that is home to them, and it is their safe place. I don't think you need to worry about getting them to come back as much as making sure nothing happens to them when they are out.

None of mine try to fly over the 4 ft wire fence that surrounds 1/2 of my yard, the rest is a 6 ft wooden fence. They seem quite content with the almost acre they have to scratch around in. If it were me, I would put up some chicken wire has a "barrier" to contain them. It sound like they won't be left unsuppervised much, but I would still worry about them wandering off my property. Mine are only out 3-4 hours most days, but I wouldn't want them wandering the neighbors yards.

 

[eggsellent]

Yeah I think at some point I will be putting in a poultry wire fence in a section of the yard, attached to their coop so I wont worry as much! I was more worried they would take off into the woods behind the house. It is comforting to know that they will be so attached to the coop!

 

[coachwife2004]

Good luck with the training! I have been trying to keep my hens off of my sidewalk for months I've tried everything they are only smart when they want to be

All my hens are free range all day I go out every morning and let them out of the hen house and then as it gets dark i go out and close the coop door but we live in the country on 13 acres the only problem I have is our closest neighbors have a kid that refuses to leave them alone and constantly lures them to their house with bread....uuuuggg so irritating she picks them up and carries them to her house so irritating she's old enough to know better and the parents refure to help) so I hope that your fence works better than mine

 

[eggsellent]

I do have a couple of annoying neighbor kids that do that with my dog! Calling to her from their yard with their mom right there! I will also be padlocking my coop/run etc when I am not home because I do not trust them not to come let my chickens out. My kids would never do that kind of thing, I just don't get that kind of parenting?! Of course that is for another thread!

 

[arch_cpj]

had a percheron draft that would herd the whole group of birds also have a german shorthair who never bothered them but would herd them...

 

[lindseythefork]

There is no way you are going to get a chicken to stay confined to your yard without a fence.