Chickens in the neighbors garden:(

[NoSpringChick]

Okay, so I only let my girls out around 2 or 3 p.m. in the afternoon when I'm home so I can keep an eye out for them (4 hawks were circling today)...three of them head straight for my neighbors garden. It's only surrounded by post/rail fencing. I caught them there a few times now and they seem to be dusting themselves. Today my husband caught them and chased them back to our property. So I had an idea....to build them a dusting box. It's just four 2 x 4's filled with fine dirt. I'm hoping that keeps them out of my neighbors garden.

In less than one hour of being built, they were in it, I could see their little chicken feet all over the soil; however, I don't know if they dusted themselved in it or just checked it out laughing at me!

Any other suggestions for keeping your chickens on your property and not wandering?

 

[ChickenToes]

Well I guess the easy answer would be to fence them in, but if you are opposed to that, then well...I dunno!

 

[Stella1964]

Hi NSC, I was wondering about that myself.

I am about to let my 8 week old chicks outside and really don't want to keep the cooped up in their pen but I also don't want them leaving my property. I only have 3/4 acre. Not sure how to stop them from roving too far away from home base. If anyone else has some ideas, or can convince me that they'll only go so far and come back eventually to their coop, I'll feel better about it.

 

[animal_lover]

Stella-I had the same problem. What you probably want to do is let them roam right before they normally go to bed. That way they will come back to their coop without a problem.


nospringchick-

i'm not sure. Do you have a dog that you could keep tied up to the place or around the place where they have been dust bathing? You could also pull up all the grass in an area or let the chickens pull the grass up =0) and maybe they will dust bathe in that? My backyard is fenced in so i don't have that problem anymore, sorry!

 

[Davaroo]

I have one word for you: fences.

Chickens don't care about property lines and will wander where they want. You might try hanging some of those owl dummies or shiny-dangly things like old CD's overhead along the property line.

These might deter them, but I doubt it.

 

[estpr13]

I agree with elderoo about fences and some type of top netting. I have spent about an hour a day out with my chicks watching them before putting them in a run. They easily fly over my 4 foot chain link fence. They tend to run the neighborhood, so with me watching them I would have to set limits. I would not let them cross the street and would keep them from crossing to the properties behind my small lot. When they got older they found that when I wasn't looking they could cross the street and get into some public housing mulch and really have some fun. Since they could out run me it became a fun thing for them to cross over until I came out to chase them away (and fix the mulch). I eventually had to get a metal broom rake which I would drag on the sidewalk to notify them I was watching and would chase them with the rake. They became afraid of the rake but still not me. It took awile but they now don't cross the street. I still have to reinforce their limits. I drag the rake on my concrete front porch when they get close to the street, and they run back from the street. They still come running up to me expecting food unless I have the rake... then they keep their distance.

 

[nutmeggie]

The only way I can think to keep them in your yard is to put a fence up. It depends on how your neighbors feel about the chickens in their yard. Good luck and I hope it works out.

 

[GRAM49]

Build a pen. My husband built the most wonderful pen on Saturday for our little, but soon to be larger brood. I wanted them to roam, but we were afraid of losing them and can't watch them all the time. Also, many hawks overhead. Fortunately because my husband is a packrat we didn't have to purchase anything. Good luck!

 

[NoSpringChick]

My hens actually whine when I come near the coop/pen...then want OUT.....so I tried letting them out in the afternoon...but they still wander far....some of them come running when I call them...thinking I have treats...My neighbor really doesn't mind...but she has a new puppy...yellow lab/retriever mix...who is hyper...and I'm not sure what he will do if he sees my chickens. Anyway, thanks for all your advice.....I also like the idea of letting them free range for just a while before retiring for the night.

How long do chickens have to be out of the pen in order for them to be consider free range? Hmmm