chickens on the front porch again

[tinkerbelle]

So... When it is really cold and the snow is deep~ our girls find solace roosting on the front porch railing. Of course they poop everywhere though. Has anyone had luck training their birds to stay away from a certain area? I have tried luring them, scaring them... not working. I know the obvious answer is to keep them in an enclosure, but we really want them to free range. It is entertaining to watch & we don't have cable. Tip toe to my front door...

 

[hankus]

I wonder if a couple of strings of fishin line would deter them?

 

[NYRIR]

I have to laugh....because I know EXACTLY what you're saying..mine do the same thing.Not so bad in the summer,when the hose works...So next year we are putting up a "people poop-free zone" fence. My chickens have taken the yard!

 

[SnowycreeksHens]

I'm laughing also, because we have the same problem. The coop is on the other end of where we live but it seems the first place they head is to our steps and deck. At first I loved it but now the poo is just getting too nasty...tiptoe is right! I thot of doing exactly the same thing, trying to build a pet-free walkway, but have no idea how to do it since the hens jump or fly just about anywhere, now. Any suggestions welcome as to how to keep them off the walkways and steps. Can hose off in summer but winter, nada. I'm seriously thinking of building a long narrow 'covered' run so they can still be considered free range hens, but confining them to a particular area. Which leads to now I know why they build 'tractors' for hens....sighhh, another project is brooding? lol

I'm curious as to why they 'flock' to us. I have tossed out food to them a few times and I know they surely remember that....but before ever feeding them closeby, they were coming over to lay in the sun on the deck steps. As soon as they see a human, they come running. Are chickens a 'social' animal, preferring closeness of humans? Or is it just that they associate us with their food?

 

[goldeneggtees]

The porch is waaay better than where one of mine was yesterday - IN THE STREET! We chased her around for at least 15 minutes before finally catching her. She actually snuck through a hole in a fence across the street while we were after her. Two huge rottweilers used to live there. Thank god there is only one there now and he was inside - whew!

Chickens just seem to like to wander and def find their comfy spots. Sorry it has to be on your porch! :–)

 

[Coach B]

Same problem here. Mine have really taken to hanging out around the house. I'm sure part of it is for the protection all the shrubs and porches provide. Didn't notice it being a problem back while everything was green and growing. Now that all the grass is dead they have been scratching like crazy and pooping on both porches. Wife not so happy about it, especially since they are not laying much at all.

 

[chickenlyn]

I wonder if one of those plastic owls used to keep birds away would help, if you mounted it on the porch rail. I have the same problem, but I have a fox and hawks around, so I will clean up the poop and bear it. I am the nurturer and they have imprinted on me, i think, so run to me for security. The roosters actually herd the girls to me as they whistle alarms.

 

[Pineywoods Peepers]

When mine start getting close to the house I go outside and throw scratch by the coop, so they'll stay away from the house. That was one of my promises to hubby when he acquiesced to letting me get the chickens. No chicken poop on the carport. So far so good, but my peeps are only 6 months old, and I haven't been free ranging them since the hawk attack on Christmas day.

 

[GammaPoppyLilyFlutter]

I tried to teach them to keep off the patio because they pooped in it and it drove my mom crazy. Eventually, though, we realized it was a lost cause.