Free-range chickens about to be not so free-range

[3domfighter]

I'm in exactly the same place as the OP. I came across this post while searching for help on how to keep our flock out of our house. Aside from the poop EVERYWHERE and the destruction of our landscape, our flock of four hens WILL come in the house if any door is left open. This is problematic because our doors are open most of the year. The first time they came in it was funny. The second time was annoying. The first time they came in while we weren't home to shoo them out was the first time I "booted" a chicken. I've never seen so much poop in my life. Don't worry, I love them as much as you and wouldn't kick one hard enough to injure her, but let's say the combination of my tone and body language ought to have quicklly taught them the house is off limits. Another problem we've encountered in our year of keeping free-range chickens is that, now and again, they lay outside their nesting boxes. Our Polish, in particular, refuses to lay in her designated area. I spent four hours stalking her last Saturday when, after she skunked us out of two weeks of eggs, I was determined to find her nest. We've done this dance before, so the crafty hen would wait until she thought I was gone before going near it. Eventually I located it and the clutch of 9 eggs she was hoarding. Better than last time when she was able to accumulate 15!

All of these problems together have led me to reconsider allowing them to free range our property. I hate to confine them and, overall, I enjoy having them around the house, but something has to change or they're getting locked up for good. We live on an acre that has two terraces so I took the initial step of relocating their coop from the upper terrace, near the house, to the lower terrace which is largely undeveloped native growth, dotted with the kids' jungle gym, a small lawn, trampoline, etc. We've started a garden down there, as well, so I figured I'd move the coop down below and the hens would have a field day with all the treasure to be found in the layers and layers of leaves and grass to be scratched. No such luck--Every morning when I let them out they follow me up to the house almost immediately, passing their food and water along the way, only to trail me ad nauseam, staring up like, "Hey guy! Where's the food??" I've tried tossing scratch and other treats around the coop to keep them in that vicinity, and I do not offer them any water near the house, but they seem intent on spending their time in the relatively barren area around the house.

So, same question as the OP: Does anyone have any advice on re-programming these hens to stay in this other part of the property without having to build a run or confine them in the coop? I saw the advice about using electric wire, but that is impractical for my situation. Plus, I don't have faith that a small shock will do the trick if a the large shock of a lunatic chasing them around the house with their 5-yr old's foam Legoland sword doesn't dissuade them. I thought the food and water would do the trick, but it's been almost three months now and the pattern hasn't changed. I don't want to confine the ladies, and we're adding 7 new hens to the flock soon, so how do I keep the old flock where they belong and keep the new ones there from the start?

 

[Heatherberry]

Well, now I am replying to my last replier.

I have now made peace with building a run for my coop. Adding it to one side will be the best thing for me and my situation.

If you have four chickens now and adding 7 more I would venture to guess your gonna go crazy trying to keep them away from the house. It wont work.

I wasn't prepared for the attachment my birds would have for me, mind you I love it it's cute. They do the same thing to me when I let them out. They follow me waiting for treats and I don't even do that every day. They think I am mommy.


So here is my plan.

Electric fence is a no go I have a kid and he will try to dismantle if or something. Something will go wrong there. So, I am adding a run to the coop. I am going to do what others have suggested and put boards in there to build up bugs, throw in grass and leaves. You know make it like the beds and underbrush they so desire to be in.

Then I will have a plan to let them out about 1 hour or so a day. They are out right now. They were making a terrible ruckus and I thought I'll see if letting them out to get it out of their system today would help. If I get them used to being in their pen most of the time while it is the size it is now, then when I extend the coop they will be acclimated to being in there.

Anyhow, I know I will have more peace and it will end up being the best thing all around. Chickens are great but it does add another dimension to your life if you let them free range. A "crazy dimension".

 

[sunkistfarm]

My chickens have been free ranging all over the yard including walking up 8 steps to the front porch to eat the cats food and more recently they got smart and they scoot through the 5 inch gap I leave the garage door open for the cats. Every day I find the chickens upstairs in the garage and have to catch them and bring them down because they will not come down the stairs on their own. Oh yeah and there is poo everywhere.
They had a small 7x7 opening so they could go in and out of their coop. Today we closed that opening and made a bigger one on the other side of their coop. We fenced in a large area - attached to 2 corners of their coop - so they could come and go as they pleased from their coop but no more free ranging. Can't take it anymore. Now the cats are happy, I am happy that my porch and garage are poo free and most importantly the chickens don't seem to mind the least bit about the change. They couldn't care less. Everyone is happy!

 

[centrarchid]

I have had similar problems with birds crapping on front porch and milling around house. Problem now fixed. I still have birds that lay eggs on front porch but they no longer spend idle time there. Feeders and waters are located well away from house near cover that provides shelter from heat and rain. Forage is much better away from house in feilds and fence rows. Birds now approach house only to lay eggs.

 

[mrsbos]

Count me in as another loving chicken owner who after 8 months of letting the girls free-range has about had it with poop all over my patio and all my landscape bark scratched into my manicured lawn. I have 3 EEs that I let out around 7am to free-range my 1/2 acre nicely landscaped yard, and then I put them away at sunset. My plants are being destroyed by their scratching! Chicken poo land mines dot the landscape!

But as others have said, I would feel horrible about confining them....they're so happy foraging and exploring all day. And they look so cute all standing at my patio door, watching me in the kitchen and pecking at the door for treats.

Our family is considering a move to a house with acreage. It would be so nice to have a couple of acres, so I could dedicate a large part of a grassy lawn for an equally large chicken pen. Of course I'd also want them to have evergreen trees/shrubs for cover, and other plants of their own to nibble on....oh my if non-chicken people could hear me now...

 

[galanie]

Quote:
You bad man! Just close the garage door!

sorry, I just had to say it! My garage is safe though, you should just park it over here

 

[2DogsFarm]

Quote:
Sigh.....
Take it from me, acreage is no guarantee that freeranging will work.
My girls led the Freerange Life for a year on my 5ac - plenty of trees for cover & shade, pastures full of horse poop to scratch in...
All was fine until they discovered {drumroll} the Road! and across that road the neighbors with the fussy landscaping.
The fussy landscaping that was just what they lacked on their own property.

So now they are in Lockdown every day while I'm at work & freeranging is limited to days I can check on them and shoo them back when they head for aforementioned neighbors.
Days are spent in their large, fenced yard with one nice tree and what is left of the grass.
And No, I will not be running 5ac of hotwire to keep them in.
Even though they line up at the fence as I drive off looking like the Poultry version of Gitmo.

 

[aggie9296]

If the options are keeping them confined vs getting rid of them/eating them, I think the chickens would prefer confined.

Chickens have been confined for hundreds of years and done well. Less risk of predators and other nasties out there. Even a 10x10 run is bigger than what the factory chickens get.

I think it bothers the humans more than the chickens.

 

[ailurophile23]

My flock has a totally (sides and top) fenced run and coop where they spend their days - no grass of course but lots of room and they get fresh greens every AM. Planning to add some outdoor roosts and climbing areas for them. They also have a much larger, still filled with grass fenced area behind the coop and enclosed run where they are let out every afternoon when we get home. They dig and forage to their hearts content and I know this is their area so I don't care if they rearrange it to their liking. We are hoping to expand this further when we move one of the horse pasture gates but even now, it is plenty for the 12 hens. Would they prefer to have the whole 9 acres? Likely. Are they content with what they have? I think so. And they are safe from predators and the road.

 

[7&8]

I am wicked pleased with the electric netting fence I just put up for my flock. There are several places to get it; I had an excellent experience buying mine through Kencove Farm Fencing Supplies. One roll is 164' long, so the chickens have plenty of room to move around. I bought a charger that would accomodate two panels if I decided to expand the range. I'm using it as semi-permanent fencing, though it's really easy to move around. Kencove has helpful videos online for setting the fencing up. I bought the green netting, and it blends in with the landscape so well that I hardly even notice it. I only wish I'd put it up before the fox visited...