Free Range Chickens and Close Neighbours

[Steph Martin]

Hi everyone...I think I know the answer to the questions I am going to post BUT there are so many out there with more knowledge than me so here goes.....

I have a lovely new coop, nice big run but I'd like to free range my four (and soon to be more) hens on my property. I have never had a problem with free range but that was in another place and another time. Where we live now, I have a close neighbour and I don't want the girls over in his yard. Is there any way to keep them close to home? Previously my bantam flock just stayed around the backyard, front yard and their coop but these are full size and I don't want to P. O. my neighbour. There is dense alder growth and an old stone wall between him and I -- would this be a deterrent to the birds? Also, I do not have a rooster...is one necessary to protect the females? or are they ok on their own?

Thanks for any information.

 

[birdicus7]

Have you talked to your neighbor yet? Some free eggs can go a long way! The wall may help. In my experience they will stay close at first but as they get more comfortable they will range farther and farther. If you train them to come when you call and they listen, I say go for it. At least if the wander away too far you can call them back.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[Oregon Blues]

It's your responsibility to keep your birds off of your neighbor's property. I suggest that you put a fence around your property that will keep your birds at home.

 

[acrossthebranch]

I would think the wall might help, but as mine got older they got bolder in their roaming. My neighbors don't mind though, and they do get free eggs!

I'm not sure about the rooster. I didn't have one for the longest time, and my girls did fine. But rooster or not, if a dog comes in my yard while my chickens are out, odds are I'm going to lose some.

 

[Mattemma]

The wall will help. I have a fence around my yard and recently cut off the house area for the chickens by using plastic fencing.Still leaves them with a huge area,but lol they sit by the fence wanting to come to the house.

The roo is nice but not needed.My new roo is overall good,but it didn't help neighbor relations when he would go under their windows and crow 6-8 times in a row.

 

[DillardHome]

Quote:

I agree with BIRDICUS. Talk with your neighbor first before investing your time and money on putting up fencing, offer free eggs and be sure to mention chickens are great at pest control in the yard not to mention they eat weeds too. However, they can make a mess if your neighbor has any pine straw or mulch around their plants the chickens will scratch it out looking for bugs, or if they have a garden. If the neighbor is fine with it let them know if it becomes a problem to please let you know and you will take care of it. No hard feelings (and mean it).

My chickens all free range from dawn to dusk, in the beginning they would stay close to the house and the coop but not anymore they go alot farther! They will go into our horse pasture in the wide open with no cover looking for bugs, I worry everytime since we do have hawks that come around and they are just "sitting ducks" out there. They have even gotten gutsy enough to go deep into our woods.

Mine have been "trained" to come when I call them, of course it involves a treat most of the time but it works for me. They come running from wherever they are when they hear "chick, chick, chick". It's the funniest thing especially when visitors witness it. So maybe when you give them treats make a certain sound or words everytime, they will learn those words or that sound mean treats and come running.

Good luck

 

[BigDaddyMM]

My Girls recently found a hole in the fence that I didn't know about behind some bushes. When I saw them in the neighbors yard I panicked, I didn't want to bother the neighbors and didn't know how to get the girls back home. Although not trained yet to come when called I brought out their feed can and called for them and they all came back on my side. When the neighbor saw this she came out and said stop calling them home, they aren't done eating my bugs yet. So alls well and the hole is fixed.

 

[AlienChick]

Ah! So your neighbors are aware of the benefit of chickens roaming into their yard!

I bought some deer netting and cut it in half (since it's 7' tall) thereby ending up with twice as much fencing,
and I used it for my fencing for my free ranged chickens. It keeps them from roaming too far and it was cheap.

So far it's working great!