chicken behavior question

mamadukes5

Chirping
8 Years
Jul 14, 2011
122
0
89
Easthampton, Mass
so today was the first time that my dh and my son and I all worked all day on the same day. Usually one of us is home for at least part of the day. My chickens had food and water before I left but I left them in the run since I would be gone all day. I just got home and they were in my neighbor's yard, apparently they can jump the fence although they've never done so before. I called the girls back and they came running so I just put them over the fence, and the roo follows wherever the hens go, so he's back too. Question is, now that they know they can do it, will they continue to do it? Two of my hens fly up into my maple tree on occassion but always come down when I call them, so I knew they could fly, but they've never gone over the fence before. My neighbor is a nice guy, but he's got a 90 pound black lab and he shouldnt have to check for my chickens before letting his dog out, so if they're likely to do it again, I have to enclose the top of their run. Anybody know if they are likely to repeat their little walkabout?
 
okay then, will make sure I put the cover back over the run on any day that I'm not going to be home. We had it covered when they were small in case of hawks and owls, but we took it down when they got bigger. But now, I can't have the little stinkers leaving the yard. I always let them run around the yard for a couple of hours every day, but today was my long shift and couldnt leave them loose, so guess they are showing their displeasure.
 
I have an entrance door to my coop that sets at ground level. I started to walk into the coop to get my eggs yesterday and one of my hens came running between my legs and out the door she went.. lol... she ran over to the grass rolled around in the grass for a few seconds and came running back wanting in the coop. I laughed at her and put her back in. She went on her merry little way.
 
So today my dh put chicken wire where my girls all jumped the fence yesterday, and when I got home from work today, I found them all up in the bush walking along the branches that stick out over the fence getting ready to jump the higher fence. He extended it by two feet, they found a way to get around it. So now, I either have to extend it even higher, cut off the branches that go over the fence, or put a lid on the whole run. They are fairly clever for generally not very bright birds. One of the reds actually jumped the 6 foot fence, and when I put some more food in the pen, she flew right back over and about landed on my head. If t he 6 foot doesnt keep them in, I'm probably going to have to enclose the top but they really like to sit up in the maple tree. Oh, well, if they don't stay in my yard, they are going to have to stay in their run.
 
Quote:
Try clipping one wing to make them unbalanced so they could get up in the tree but not necessarily jump the higher fence. I had to the same problem and I live on a big enough area that they have to go pretty far to get to somewhere new. Mine are all free range.
 
Thank you, that's a good idea. Mine run all over the yard all day long too, but I just went back to work (college opened) and two days I'm there from 9 to 5 and don't want them all loose all day. The reds are the ones that fly, so I can clip their wings like my parrot's wings and that might keep them from going too high up in the tree. I hate to put a lid on the run becuase they really like to sit up in the low branches of the maple, but if they get over the 6 foot fence, the coyotes or the cats will get to them before I can.
Thanks for the suggestion, I never would have thought to clip them, even though I've been doing it all these years with the parrot.
 
I only do mine because they roost in the tree and I HATE finding them up there cause they refuse to come down and I am not climbing up there to get them.
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Good luck if that doesnt help try only feeding them at night or keep feed in the pen but make it a slow feeding system so that way they stay intrigued. I have old cd;s hung from the roof of my coop so my ladies do not become bored and try and run off. My feeder is hung really high and drops feed slowly so they must work at getting food rather than foraging outside for it
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Hope this helps
 

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