Destructive Chickens

[Mac]

Might be easier to fence in your sister-in-law's gardens with nice fencing. You could also rototill up a plot of ground on your property and see if you can keep them occupied.....

Mac

 

[CJD]

After talking to hubby, we decided to fence in an area around the coop. There are breaks in the cement where I could drive a fence post in and put up some chicken wire, and hopefully that will keep them confined until spring, when I can set up a proper coop and run.

Can anyone tell me, would 5' tall chicken wire keep heavy breeds like buff orphingtons and brahmas from escaping, or would you go taller? I'm just looking at someting temporary for the time being. I'm up against the clock with the freezing weather coming.

Mary

 

[tidlet]

Im having the same problem.
My 5 hens love my neighbors yard.
Beautiful landscaping. I panic everytime but they have not complained, but we always run over there and "heard" them back to our 2.6 acres of suburban property. (no fence)
SO...we built a shack. We put up a 5ft fence 10x20 area of chicken wire. Electric wire around the bottom to keep neighborhood dogs out. a run.. I guess...without a lid.
They fly over it. Every day.
We trimmed their feathers on one side per advise from local chicken owners. Still flying over it.
It seems were gonna have to put
netting across the top of their run.
I leave a dozen eggs on the neighbors porch. (Free)
Thats what Ive been doing.

 

[silkiechicken]

I've seen my 10.5 lb rooster fly over a 4 foot fence no problem... if they are happy in their run, they will stay, if not, they will leave. For now, an 18 inch tall border is keeping in 14 3-month old chicks, even though they jump higher than that to get to the top of their coop, and can be caught walking atop the 4 foot fence on the side with the real fence. They like it in the fence so they stay.

Maybe a bag of mulch on the ground in a box with a can of meal worms mixed in will keep them busy?

 

[Kitsune]

Quote:
a 5 ft fence should keep anything in if they have their feathers clipped on one side. How are you clipping the feathers? How much are you leaving behind? If you leave enough feather behind they can still catch air on that side and will compensate with body position.

 

[FLchook]

Is it possible to buy some grubs? Throw that in with the pile of wood chips. JUst a thought.

Good luck!
Shannon

 

[joanm]

It appears a number of us have the same problem! I got tired of mine digging up my flower beds and they devoured my newly planted panies so I extened the run to my 4' fence and clipped their wings. They were happy for about a week and then over the fence they went to my neighbors yard. Just my australorps though, not my buff oprs. I'll be buying netting for the top now.

 

[CarriBrown]

I feel your pain! Mine found the tomato plants and let's just say I had a lot of half eaten tomatoes!!! But it gives me an excuse to start the garden over... this time I'll have to chicken proof it!
Not sure what you can do besides putting those girls in a run.

 

[hensnchix]

Yep--our hens got so destructive in our yard we had to put a run off the hen house. I'm sorry to do it, but they were digging up everything. The funny thing is, our two EE hens weren't destructive at all until we brought in a 3 year old RIR who is incredibly messy...she digs holes two feet into the ground, throws dead grass everywhere, pulls all the plants out of the flowerbeds. Alas, she taught the younger ones to do the same thing!

Susan

 

[arlee453]

Sounds just like my neighbor's dog and cats. They have 2 acres but they like to come over to MY yard to do their business.

Do the 5 foot but prepare to put netting over the top. Determined chickens will find a way over if they can.

Deer netting ($12 for 7x100' roll at Lowes, kept where the landscape/weed block fabric is) is sturdy enough to keep them in and cheap.