Chickens on the porch...!?!? Pic added.

[my first peepers]

I let my chickens out...they have 3/4 of an acre to forage, climb trees, dust bath and eat what's left of the garden. But, NO they come around to the front of the house and hang out on the porch! What gives?
I love them, I really do but I am sick of shooing them and I don't want to be stepping in chicken poo when I walk out the door. Has anyone come up with deterents that work for this sort of thing?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21482466@N05/2958446316/in/photostream/

Edited to add pic because they really are cute!

 

[Hobbley_Farm]

The only thing that worked for us was a fence. We let some totally free range for a while then decided it wasn't working out for us. We couldn't catch a roo and two hens. But the would go to my mothers house and every morning bright and early wake her up by pecking at her storm door. They knew that when she let her lab out she would feed him and they would eat right along side him out of the bowl. So she was always waking up in the morning thinking someone was rapping on her front door. It was allways the chickens.

 

[bkreugar]

Yep mine do that too.I think they see the front door as a food portal as I give them dinner leftovers and any other leftover food as "treats"They especailly love my bench that allows them to see into the window.If I let them they would have come right in the front door. I ahve no detterent but they have me trained as when they do this I often throw food out to them NOT on the porch.

 

[Appytaz]

I have the same problem. If mine herd gets a chance, they will come right on in the door. We have one that we have to chase out of the screen porch any time we leave the door open for a minute. It is kind of cute to see them peeking int he windows (our front door is all glass and it makes it easy for them to see in.)

 

[silkiechicken]

Yep, mine like the porch and the car area. So you step out of the house or car... poo galore.

 

[lovemychix]

I had one that wanted to come in the house would sit outside the screen door all day. I enjoyed her so much that I just hosed off the deck every night.

Probaby didn't help that I would treat her all day.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

I have one hen who has become brave enough to come up onto the porch looking for treats. I don't want her there either, because of the poo factor.

She will walk around both dogs and the cat to get up on the porch, the furries just look at her like she's crazy. She knows they won't touch her, though, so she doesn't fear them.

I haven't figured out what to do to stop her, luckily she comes up and when she sees me, she'll go back down again to wait in the usual spot for her treat. So far no poo on the porch, but I don't want that to start, either.

If I come up with a good deterent, I'll be sure to post here to let ya know.

Peace -
Meri

 

[scooter147]

Try a fake owl.
I bought one several years ago to try to keep the hawks at bay, the problem was it scared the chickens more than it scared the hawks.
I placed the owl on my patio to keep the girls off and it works.

 

[lovemychix]

my first peepers:
What kind of rooster is that....mine looks just like him? I bought my first chickens from a man who had mixed breeds. Just wondering? Aren't they hansome. I've had people offer me $20 for him before. But he's mine....mine....mine!!!!

a couple of my hens are red with those black tail feathers too.

 

[chicknmania]

Ours do, too, but we just grin, bear it, and use the hose. Can't resist all those faces peering in the door and when they think it's snacktime they will also peck on the door til someone comes out....Dazzle has found that the front porch acts like an amplifier for his crows, so all the better!

(well, I suppose echo chamber is a better word than amplifier...

)