Free-range Chickens and the road

[metzbower]

Hello! I am pretty new here and have a question about free-ranging.

We have a flock of 8 that have not had their wings clipped. We chose to let them keep the ability to fly due to our previous flock being eaten by the pit bull next door. It tore down the fence and ate every one but the one that could fly. The chickens we have now free range and have 25+ acres to run on.

However, our house is about 15-20 feet from the road where people drive way too fast. Our neighbor across the street has been (unbeknown to us) feeding our flock from her front porch because her toddler loves to see them. Now we have the chickens in the road all the time! Now that they are over there looking for food all the time, she is complaining that they are a problem, and she is "so concerned that they may get hit".

Help!!! Can I retrain them to stay on our side of the road? We don't want to clip wings and pen them in, because it is only a matter of time until that dog gets off his chain again. :-( And a fully enclosed coop is not where we want to head either.

I have a feeder out filled at all times, btw...

 

[ARose4Heaven]

not sure that there is any guaranteed way to correct the problem. I assume that you have discussed the feeding issue with the neighbor. You may have to confine them for a few weeks to give them time to forget that food was available on the other side of the road. That may or may not work. Have you considered an electified poultry netting fence across the front of your yard? It is ugly there, and they may fly over it, but it's worth a try.

 

[chics in the sun]

Why did the chicken cross the road....?

Sorry.
Sounds like the neighbor needs re-training! I agree with ARose, you may need to pen them in for a little while so their little chicken brains forget about the friendly neighbor.

 

[Mattemma]

I would fence them in for a few weeks.I rarely have had issue with the hens going over a 3-4 foot plastic fence that I put up with bamboo sticks and zip ties.You could do that in the front yard,but I would fence them in the back.

I would point out to the neighbor how her feeding the hens created a serious problem for you not just a slight inconvenience. She needs to get her own chickens to amuse her child.