Coop to Far?

[MrsRevDr]

Not knowing a whole lot about chickens I planned to free range them in my yard which is about 1/4 acre of fenced in chain link...bad news is that the barn where the coop is in not inside the fence, from the nearest gate to the coop is at least 100 feet. Being outside the fenced in area to free range isn't an option as my neighbor's dogs are often seen around our fence. I really don't want to keep them penned up, any way to train them to walk to and from the coop to the inside of the gate morning and evening? They are 5 weeks now. We live in FL so they could free range pretty much all year.

 

[CowgirlPenny]

Can you build a fenced in walk way (PVC Pipe?) from the gate, to the coop? One just large enough for you to walk through?

 

[ChickenBrik]

There is always the green plastic poultry fencing that you can find at any big home improvement store and the metal rods that you stick into the ground. Not strong enough to keep a dog out, but if the idea is they will be only going through it twice a day, it might work. I use that in my yard a lot to make movable chicken runs.

When i read the pvc comment, I thought of a large pvc PIPE that only the chickens would be able to fit into and walk from the barn to the yard. Funny mental image... imagining chickens sliding down a playground slide and jumping off the end like kids happily into their play yard

.... but its an idea worth pondering.

 

[MrsRevDr]

the fencing might work it would have to be something removable so I could get a riding mower through, do you think after awhile of doing it they would eventually do it without the fencing or would the urge to explore get the better of them?