bad chickens!

[vtsarahb]

I let my chickens free range when I get home from work, and on weekends.

Yesterday I caught my chickens waaaaayyyyy over in my neighbor's back yard, much farther than they have ever gone before. I didn't think they would ever go over there because our properties are separated by lots of low brush, plants, etc... tough stuff for the chickens to make their way through. Well they proved me wrong yesterday.

I know my neighbor does not mind if my chickens are over there, but I mind! I want my chickens to stay in my yard! Is there ANY way besides a fence to encourage them to stay closer to home?

 

[Chickenaddict]

Unfortunately No they will continue to wonder off. I had the same problem with mine, I drew the line when my GLW roo was in my neighbors garage about to jump on his brand new monte carlo ss. I quickly constructed a chicken wire fence to keep them from going into his yard. They then moved onto a different neighbors yard. I wound up putting a chicken wire fence around the whole perimiter of the back yard.

 

[fatboys farm]

i also let my chiks free range. since im in the yard i call them back with a treat call. then they stay closer that evening. a treat call will bring 100 chickens running. eat more racoons.

 

[nature nut]

Mine 6 have free run of my fenced 2 acres every afternoon and I still have to make sure the gates are shut because they just wander and eat and wander and eat. They also seem to gravitate to the fence even though one of our neighbors has a black lab that loves to pounce at the fence and bark at them. I tell you if I didn't know better, I'd say those bad girls are digging and bathing by that fence just to torture that dog

Naughty girls!

 

[comp6512]

Has anyone nailed wire fence to the trees? My backyard is surrounded by the "woods", so I thought I might make a use of it.

 

[cnj-tx50]

We clip one wing. We did this from the very beginning - 6 months now, and now we only have 2 that we have to keep an eye on. I guess they finally decided that since they couldn't fly straight that they would just stay put!!

 

[mdbokc]

Nailing a wire fence to trees is not a good practice. Woe to the person who has to remove and pay to remove a fence or tree when the tree has grown around the wire.

Use deer netting, 100' lengths, 7' wide from Lowe's or the equivalent ($10). Purchase utility posts (U posts, typically green), longest you can, likely 4 feet. Purchase 1" x 2" x 8' (lumber yard) and a little stain and a roll of tie wire. Put a short screw in the 1 x 2, 6' - 6.5' from an end. Stain the wood, attach the wood to the U posts with wire. Attach the deer netting to the newly created post. It is almost invisible but stops them cold from wandering. Easy to move anytime you want.

 

[cnj-tx50]

Not fun!! Have had to do lots and lots of that!!! Then when we had some of the trees remove they charged us extra to grind the stumps!!

 

[vtsarahb]

I am so FRUSTRATED with my chickens!

They went into the neighbors yard TWICE this afternoon... I ended up sending them to bed (their coop) early.

Why they need to go into the neighbor's yard is beyond me. My yard is great for chickens, I give them loads of treats.... they still crash through the bushes to go over there. They usually come running to me when I call them, but sometimes a few of them are off in "la-la land" and don't listen. So to get them back I have to *carefully* hop over my neighbor's electric fence (for the horses) and chase my dumb girls back home.

I think I just need a fence. Except a fence would look really ugly, and I can't afford it right now.

Ugh.... they're lucky they're so darn cute!!

 

[goldeneggtees]

Hi there, I totally hear your frustrations. My chickens don't have quite as much room to roam, they only have 1/4 acre but seems like alot to me, considering it's half our yard!

Yet still, they find ways out. The other day I was working and just happened to look out my window and what do I see but four of my hens ready to head out into my very busy street. They looked so comical standing there with their heads up, I was wondering if they were considering going for a cup of coffee or something!

Anyway, we don't have much money either so my husband recycled pallets and made a really cute picket fence with them to try and keep the hens in. Well, it didn't work, they found it all too easy to get out of, either by flying over or believe it or not squeezing one wing through and then the other. The sad part is, they can't get back in and that's really bad! I think the wing clipping thing may be the way to go for me, but sounds like you have a different problem.

Quote: