Chickens are tearing up my barn

[jtbuck]

I have 13 free range hens on 5 acres... The coop is middle of property and barn is closer to road. It is a open barn where I work on cars. Now for some reason these chickens have decided to come in barn, knocking everything off shelves and getting into my car project and making a real mess. I have put chicken and horse fencing around the openings but now they decided to fly over that.
This is a really BIG problem; don't really want to get rid of them. Any suggestions...

 

[thecatumbrella]

How tall is the fencing you tried? You might need to go up to 48-inches for really active birds. Make sure it's something netted that they can't land on.

Also, check on this article on wing clipping. It could make your free-range birds more susceptible to predators, but it should prevent them from making the leap into the barn. Kind of a trade off.

 

[jtbuck]

How tall is the fencing you tried? You might need to go up to 48-inches for really active birds. Make sure it's something netted that they can't land on.

Also, check on this article on wing clipping. It could make your free-range birds more susceptible to predators, but it should prevent them from making the leap into the barn. Kind of a trade off.

48-60 inches

 

[AntiqueB]

What breeds of chickens? I do have a couple Easter Eggers who can clear at least 5 feet. I imagine leaner chickens like Leghorns could go higher.

Does the barn have doors?

 

[jtbuck]

What breeds of chickens? I do have a couple Easter Eggers who can clear at least 5 feet. I imagine leaner chickens like Leghorns could go higher.

Does the barn have doors?

Buff Orpington(only thing saving them is great layers)-Open barn

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Sounds like they want to hang out with you. Stop being so interesting.
Sorry, I'm no help.

 

[AntiqueB]

I imagine a 5' fence should stop an Orpington. Are they young?

 

[thecatumbrella]

48-60 inches

Buff Orpington(only thing saving them is great layers)-Open barn

Wow. Orpingtons are normally too heavy to clear even moderate fences. They really want into that barn! Other than wing clipping and fence choice, I'm a bit stumped.

 

[AntiqueB]

Young ones can fly fairly well, but my 4' fence totally stopped an Orpington after about a year and a half old.

 

[McChooky]

Sounds like your chickens don't like their coop or run or don't have a suitable one. They'll continue to seek shelter in the barn if they have none. Perhaps they have one or both but it isn't as comfortable as the barn.This may be why they are hanging out .Try to make their coop comfortable and fence them out of the barn.

PS:

Chickens will sometimes abandon a coop that's not ventilated properly or is drafty and cold .Predators can also harass them and kill flock mates forcing them to seek shelter elsewhere