Escaping chickens and orchard fencing

[Cluckatar]

My chickens are driving me crazy this week. On Sunday I moved them to a new rotation spot in the field (something we've done many times, they are totally used to this). This spot includes access to the orchard where they have plenty of work to do fertilizing and eating bugs. But the orchard fence is a 10 foot deer fence, and it's old, and the bottom edge seems no longer able to contain chickens. Every day I've been out there trying to patch over and block holes. And every day I'm going back out multiple times a day finding chickens out wandering around in the lower field, in the swamp, back up in our yard freaking out the dogs. I can't handle the stress

Before this move, this group of hens was so hassle free, I don't know why getting loads of new grass inside their fenced area has brought on this need to explore far and wide?

 

[sourland]

"The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence." As long as they can access it, they will go through the holes in the fence.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Better bugs on the outside maybe.

It might be necessary for your sanity to fence them in while the deer netting gets replaced.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Who knows what's going on in that bird brain of theirs. Not that they are dumb, they just process logic differently than we do. Maybe they are looking for shade or maybe cover to hide from hawks. Maybe they found a good place to scratch in dead leaves or something to get creepy crawlies to eat so they excape. If that has some type of fence row growth they usually like to hang out in something like that.

The answer is a better fence but I don't have ant great solutions on how to do that. You can figure that out better than I can. Mainly to offer sympathy, they can be very aggravating.

 

[Cluckatar]

I patched another two spots (so many temporary patches!) mid morning. It's frustrating because their current area is quite large and has a variety of options, sun and shade, long and short grasses, scrubby edges, garden beds that need their attention scratching up the weeds. A whole orchard! When they escape they mostly then run around the edge of the fence and I find them trying to make their way back in to the rooster who is calling them, but the regular fencing at least seems to keep them out. Ah well, I guess I keep patching :/ And hope the lure of the neighbor's property abates over time. They think there are tasty fun things in there. I know there is a pack of coyotes, plentiful raccoons and others looking for a chicken dinner.

 

[3KillerBs]

Think like a chicken,

What does the other side of the fence have that they don't have where you want them?

Shade?

Cover?

Piles of leaf litter to scratch through?

Tender young leaves instead of tough grass?

???

 

[Cluckatar]

Old compost piles, possibly more spiders. Their current spot has lots of good stuff as well.

 

[Cluckatar]

They have stayed put for about three days. I've stopped having the mid-afternoon panic attacks about where the heck they've gone. I'm hoping it's good for this rotation. Whew. One hen has of course created a dust bath in the lavender border... but I wanted them weeding that border anyway. They sample, and find they don't like the taste of lavender, then they move on to digging around it, and suddenly I have a nicely weeded out bed. As long as the plants are established enough, dust bathe away.