Chicken Newbie Needs some advice

[MiamiChica]

My next door neighbor moved, and left behind a chicken and a rooster, who now roam free range throughout our backyards. After they spent a week rummaging through my yard for worms, I started feeding them. I called the chicken busters from the city but no one came to rescue them.

So I have no coop, but the hen started to brood, and even hatched a chick up on top of my aluminum patio awning. (I live in Miami, Florida). The chick lasted 2 or 3 weeks, and then disappeared, which I imagine was due to a local cat.

My concern is twofold: 1) the fowl are hanging out on the patio, by my backdoor, and underneath the patio furniture. Their excrement is everywhere. They hang out by the back door and the rooster crows for food. I have 4 small children, and I just can't spend the time cleaning the patio daily, and I am concerned about disease and hygiene. Is it possible to train them to poop somewhere else? I have thought about setting up nesting boxes, etc., but fear that I could put alot of expense into it, and they would still hang out and poop on my patio. Can chickens be trained to stay in certain areas of the yard? Or is enclosing them the only way?

My second concern is that I know nothing about chickens, and don't know how challenging the learning curve is. It is my humanitarian side that led me to start feeding them. Chickens are not allowed in Miami, and can't see myself investing hundreds of dollars in a chicken coop to keep them. (Just for the city to come and fine me.) I've tried finding a place for them, but haven't been able to catch the rooster.

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[Judy]

What a shame. You really are in a pickle. How kind of you to feed them.

They shouldn't present a threat to your kids, especially if they don't chase or handle them. Even then, besides a claw scratch (or, less likely, an eye injury,) they should be fine if they just wash their hands after handling.

The only way to keep them off your patio is to fence them, or fence the patio. They don't actually need a coop, especially in that climate, other than for protection from predators -- as you've already learned from their surviving by their wits. You might be surprised how many cities have a feral chicken population. Key West is one.

I would probably try an ad on Craig's list to see if someone wants to take them, if you haven't already. There are some animal shelters that take chickens; you could make some calls.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

My next door neighbor moved, and left behind a chicken and a rooster, who now roam free range throughout our backyards. After they spent a week rummaging through my yard for worms, I started feeding them. I called the chicken busters from the city but no one came to rescue them.

So I have no coop, but the hen started to brood, and even hatched a chick up on top of my aluminum patio awning. (I live in Miami, Florida). The chick lasted 2 or 3 weeks, and then disappeared, which I imagine was due to a local cat.

My concern is twofold: 1) the fowl are hanging out on the patio, by my backdoor, and underneath the patio furniture. Their excrement is everywhere. They hang out by the back door and the rooster crows for food. I have 4 small children, and I just can't spend the time cleaning the patio daily, and I am concerned about disease and hygiene. Is it possible to train them to poop somewhere else? I have thought about setting up nesting boxes, etc., but fear that I could put alot of expense into it, and they would still hang out and poop on my patio. Can chickens be trained to stay in certain areas of the yard? Or is enclosing them the only way?

My second concern is that I know nothing about chickens, and don't know how challenging the learning curve is. It is my humanitarian side that led me to start feeding them. Chickens are not allowed in Miami, and can't see myself investing hundreds of dollars in a chicken coop to keep them. (Just for the city to come and fine me.) I've tried finding a place for them, but haven't been able to catch the rooster.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Hello, welcome to BYC and thank you for having a heart good enough to take in these two.

Chickens poop wherever they are - it is as simple as that. To keep poop from areas you don't want poop, you will have to restrict their access....since fencing them out of your patio is not likely an easy option, it may be easier to fence them IN to an area --but you are not really seeming too keen on investing in a construction project (understandably considering this wasn't really your idea in the first place), that is probably not all that appealing to you either.
Given the restrictions on keeping the birds, etc - I would suggest going to the "Florida" thread and posting to see if you can get these birds re-homed - or Craigslist even. You can likely find someone with the knowledge and experience to catch the rooster.

 

[MiamiChica]

Considering Miami's 'no chickens' ordinance, I don't think it would be wise for me to build something to keep them contained. I guess I was hoping that some sort of positive or negative reinforcement would work to alter the behavior, (to keep them off the back patio area), lol!

I appreciate your responses. You've helped me come to the conclusion that I should continue to look for a home for them. But that hasn't been easy!

 

[aart]

Call animal control or google chicken rescue Miami florida.
Use the garden hose to squirt them when they wander near/onto the patio.
Feed them far away from where you don't want them.