Chickens keep wandering - need advice

[NewYorkMama]

Hello! Our chickens (4 female buff orpingtons) have a smallish run (about 12 x 4 feet) attached to their coop which is completely predator-proof. When we are travelling on business, they stay safely in there. When we are home, I let them out of the run to free range on 15 acres. For some reason, they almost *always* go down the driveway, away from the house, down to the road... rarely exploring the fields, gardens, or other "safe" places. They've even crossed the road to explore the farm across the way!

We only have four hens, and they are our pets. We'd be devastated if they were killed on the road; particularly when it seems so unnecessary for them to go that direction in the first place!

Which brings me to my questions:

Can I install the green chicken fencing (I believe it's 4' high) and expect Orpingtons will stay inside? They aren't amazing flyers... but would they try to fly up & perch on the top of the fence (and then fly over...)? Or, do we need to invest in something electric, like PoultryNet? If we do go with an electrified fence, does this still work in the Winter with feet of snow, or should I expect to keep them closed in the run all winter? Also, with the electrified fencing, can it actually hurt them? I don't want them to be enclosed in a space, feeling afraid... do you know what I mean?

Thank you for your help - I'm a newbie to this!

 

[rjohns39]

Any form of containment will generally work, unless you've been gifted with an escape artist. I use poultry net to keep predators out, not to keep the chickens in. No it's not going to work in the snow. There are lots of folks out here who let their birds out in the snow and probably just as many who do not. Some birds love to play in the snow while others refuse to go out into it.

 

[lazy gardener]

The Premier 1 electronet poultry fencing will not hurt them. As a matter of fact, my youngsters were always squirting through it until they got too big for the holes. I gave up using it when my flock would get a running head start and fly over it, into hawk territory. No, you can't use it when there's snow on the ground. If you want fencing that will endure through the snow, you will have to invest some money. Otherwise, you can "winterfy" your existing run, then in the spring, you can put up some portable fencing, electrified or not. Even deer netting would suffice to create a temporary large run. But for ease of management, I'd look at the offerings of Premier 1. Excellent company, excellent products.

 

[JedJackson]

Orpingtons can vary in size but if they are the big girls they should be then 4' tall fencing should work just fine.

 

[lazy gardener]

And you can always clip a wing.

 

[JackE]

You can use the electro-net, with snow, but you have to clear the snow away from the bottom of it. I've had the netting over 7yrs, it's up, and in use year round. Depending on what kind of snow I got, I've swept powder snow away with a broom. Heavy wet snow, I've shoveled. Sometimes though, if the snow is deep, I say the heck with it. I'll just turn the fence off. My birds won't come out in the snow anyway, unless I shovel them a clear area. And that's not at the top of the list, usually.