Will My Free Rangers mix with my neighbors free range chickens?

[ksilber]

I am thinking about allowing my small flock (6 hens, 1-yr old) to free range on our 2 acres... Our birds are currently in a 15'x60' run on bare dirt/mud right now so would like them to be able to free range during the day, but worry that they might mix with our neighbors free range flock (8 hens) which sometimes enters our yard by flying over the fence... To be honest, I don't think that I could tell their orpington's or new hampshire's apart from mine...

Will they get along?
Will they get mixed up and go to the wrong coops at night?
Please tell me that they will eat all the garter snakes in my yard!

Thanks!

 

[lazy gardener]

They will probably make a dent in the garter snake population in your yard... but, I hope they don't kill them all. I like garter snakes. They eat mice, and they are fun (for me) to have around. They will probably mix with the chickens from next door, but if you clip your girl's wings, they hopefully won't follow their new friends back over the fence, and will continue to lay/sleep in their own coop. However, if the neighbor birds decide they like your digs better, they may settle in at your place for a slumber party. Of a bigger concern is biosecurity. Your girls could pick up disease/parasites from the other flock. Are you on good terms with your neighbors to be able to discuss the issue with them? If your flocks are mingling, it would be great if you both could be on the same page regarding not bringing new birds into your flocks except for hatchlings/eggs. Regarding your run, can you put down a heavy layer of mulch? Any thing that is free or very inexpensive: grass clippings, leaves, shredded limbs from a landscaping company, used bedding from a horse stable, spoiled hay. That will bind the nutrients in the chicken poo, make the run odor and fly free, prevent run off and ground water contamination, give the girls lots of fun digging, and create a never ending supply of fantastic compost for your gardens.

Of course, you do realize that you could ask your neighbors to keep their girls home. This would be an other way to deal with the issue.

 

[ksilber]

Thanks! I will talk with my neighbors... Having their chickens come visit has never bothered me and my 2-yr-old daughter loves chasing them back to their home. I guess I will figure out how to clip their wings...

Thanks for the idea about throwing mulch down... I put some grass clippings in there and they seem to like it.... I am amazed by how much they have taken the vegetation down... Between them and a couple pheasants we have thrown in with them, they have devastated a blackberry forest.... Better than goats!

 

[bobbi-j]

Since the neighbor's chickens are already visiting your yard, biosecurity is already a non-issue unless, as Lazy Gardener mentioned, new birds are brought into either flock.I agree that clipping your hens' wings will help keep them from following their friends back over the fence.

 

[ksilber]

I am the one who probably risked the bio security because mine are some of my nephews 4h chickens that we decided to bring home after fair to live happy lives ( instead of butchering). Neighbors raised theirs from feed store hatchlings.

 

[bobbi-j]

Your neighbor is risking bio security with their flock by letting them roam onto your yard. Honestly, I'm not too worried about it. I have swapped chickens with a couple of friends in the past without even thinking about it. I did know that their chickens were healthy, though, so that did make a difference. I won't buy them from swaps or exotic animal auctions. I will only get full grown chickens from people I know and know how they raise their birds. I'm hoping to hatch out a bunch of chicks this year (er, have my broodies to the work, actually). If that project fails, I may get chicks from the feed store.

 

[pmcatnip]

We free range ours and they do wander a fair amount. We have half an acre and we are surrounded on three sides by 5 acres of pasture. Our flock crosses the fence into the pasture every day. Not long after we started free ranging them, our BA hen skipped the two adjacent neighbor's flocks and went to live with the flock three doors down. Actually the first time I met that neighbor he said "I think I have one of your chickens."

Said this lone chicken just showed up one day and moved in. I told him to keep her. And one day I got home from work early and found practically my entire flock down the road paying a social call to another neighbor's chickens (through the fence, not mingled). We're dedicating the front yard to be the new chicken run as soon as I finish fencing it in.

 

[dave3003102]

Definitely they will mix up, but if your neighbour has rooster too and if he is stronger than yours, then he will take controls over your flocks and manage them and he will not let your rooster to come close with this flock. Chicken has a behaviour to return to their coop at dust where they have spend last night, so they sure return at dusk. But you you beware of predators.

 

[ksilber]

For all of you who want closure... we tried the free range thing.... for two weeks... We had a variety of adventures such as the birds running away from home (1/4 mile down the road) and pooping all the time on our front door mat (apparently they did not figure out how to ring the door bell). They did not mix with the neighbors birds, but did have the opportunity a couple times... Unfortunately, my cat started showing way too much interest in the birds so they are doing time in the pen once again.... at least while the cat is out.