Keeping chickens in the yard?

[anc2908]

Well my chickens were completely free range in my back yard, but liked to sleep on my porch. So I put a light in the coop and cooped them up for a week and they have been succesfully retrained to sleep in the coop. However, while they were in prison I put up a fence around the coop and opened up the pasture behind my back yard so that they would have that area and stay out of the yard....So now they have decided they want to jump the fence every chance they get when this was never an issue before. They would occasionally hop the fence into my front yard but not a big deal, now they are hoping the fence into my neighbors yard thay borders ours and also jumping the fence into the horse pasture on the other side AND hopping over into my back yard still yet. Keeping them confined to just a small run isnt an option as I want them to be free range and I'd rather not clip their wings if I can avoid it but I cant think of any other options so Im looking for advice. I just cant understand WHY theyve decided to hop the fence now as theyve never done it before and the pasture they now have access to is much bigger than my yard and even has a small stream in the lower part?

 

[blairctchickens]

They have gotten a taste of the greener grass on the other side of the fence

and will keep going that way unless you coop them or yes clip one wing on each bird. The clipping process is very easy and keeps them from jumping up and over fences. I have seen my birds move really fast with clipped wings to get out of danger. Look up some videos on YouTube that shows the wing clipping process. Remember only one wing per bird or you have defeated the purpose of the wing clipping.

 

[donrae]

What is the difference between the pasture and your yard? Forget size, that really doesn't matter in this case

. Is the pasture open, is the grass short? Is there any cover, longer grasses, bushes, etc? Any good mulch areas to scratch around in? Are there really greases or seeds for them to eat?

What does your yard look like? Any cover, shady places where the bugs live, etc?

there's got to be a reason, and my first though is environmental like I mentioned above.


You do have some options....

You can reinforce your fence. Running a strand of wire a foot or so above the top of the fence helps. They can't see it well, they can't land on it and use it to hop over. They'll usually crash into it a time or two and then give up.

You can use electric poultry fencing to confine them to the area you want. You can get enough fencing they're basically free ranging, or pastured, or whatever you want to call it.