Chickens on the Porch and Driveway!!! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

[ragerkid2]

The free range 11 week old chicks are ALL over my drive way and porch. They ate my flowers!!! How do i get them to do what chickens do and eat bugs in the GRASS? I am now having to hose everything off and scrape poo off shoes AHHHHHH

HELP ME
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PLEASE
Thanks
~Brandon

 

[kcfuerst]

Sounds like you could use a fence, or separation of some kind.

 

[8HesperiaChickens]

They are doing what chickens do...eating everything and pooping on eveything. If you don't want them in certain areas, you need to fence them out.

 

[Kotiya]

boy can I sympathize! I used to love my gardens. A week of free-ranging and the ladies destroyed them all. In the last two years I've learned a lot about what is chicken hardy and what isn't. My daylillies get pecked at in the first weeks of growth, but they grow anyway. Roses are untouched - and even the bugs that eat the leaves don't get eaten! But the lovely creeping flowers that used to cover the bed are completely gone. My husband is making a concerted effort to keep chickens off porch. He goes crazy and makes lots of noise and chases them away. The like to wander our back porch too now. Luckily we aren't opening the pool this year (another story) or it would be soooo gross. We also loose some to coyotes by free-ranging. Its all part of the compromise. Sorry that I can't help more!

 

[ragerkid2]

Fences arent an option, I guess its just a fenced in run. Not what I wanted but its better than being cooped up in the coop.

 

[naughtyhens]

This was me last summer. Chicks free ranging in the yard- no problem. Juvenile chickens in the yard- no problem. Full size hens on the porch and coming up the stairs to the kitchen and eating cat food out of the cat's dish? too much. Poop everywhere! Friends horrified. They wanted to turn the whole yard into one big chicken paradise. It seems like they like porches and decks a lot. Had to pen them up. They still get to eat lots of greens and free range sometimes but I have the garden back. Good luck, Brandon!

 

[Arielle]

Fences arent an option, I guess its just a fenced in run. Not what I wanted but its better than being cooped up in the coop.

My girls free range sometimes, and are put in a run sometimes. They eat some of the violets, they ran over a plant so many times it is flattened (and trying to recover). THey follow me up the porch to the house and often wait for me to come out. But when I stomp down the stairs, they run away LOL

Traditional fencing was used to keep animals out! You can make a simple run without a top if necessary, and give them loas of play things:

dandylion greens, BOSS, other wild birds food, straw or pile of leaves, clover. I cut grass into 1/2" pcs and cut over the pen.

Hope this helps. GL​

 

[Nicole01]

My neighbors dog would eat my chickens if I didn't keep them in the coop and run in less then an hour. He keeps an eye on my chicks in their run. I have a ton of wildlife that would eat the chicks as well. We have a nice big run and coop for the chicks. They seem pretty happy where they're at.

Our veggie garden has a nice 5 foot fence too keep the deer and other critters out. It's worked for the most part, we had a small mouse or other animal nibble on the cucumbers last year. I know it really wouldn't look very nice to fence up flowers. You can't train the chicks not to eat them either.

Good luck with keeping them away. I don't think there's much you can do.

 

[JodyJo]

Quote:
this is a good idea....build it big enough you sleep well knowing they are getting the benefits of free ranging...no problem in this...otherwise, fences or chicken wire around your fav plants!

 

[kmwright]

I tried to fence mine in, and what do they do? Oh yeah, they show me whose smart and jump the 6 foot fence. Guess it's time to clip their wings.