Free range chickens going too far

[sheepchase]

I have 14 chickens that have been free ranging for about 5 months. We have about 2 acres, and they've been fine. Today, a group of 4 decided to cross the deep creek into my neighbor's property. Any suggestions? I wouldn't have thought they'd be that adventurous.

 

[Mrs. K]

Lock them up for a while. The more you let them out, the farther they roam. Some roosters will lead them farther and farther away, while others keeps them closer to home.

 

[sheepchase]

Lock them up for a while. The more you let them out, the farther they roam. Some roosters will lead them farther and farther away, while others keeps them closer to home.

How long should I start with? A few days?
Sadly, the roosters are being more cautious. These 4 are going out without either of the two roosters. This is my first flock, so I'm still learning

 

[Mrs. K]

I have a good size run attached to my coop - so it is easy for me to keep mine in 24/7. I like to let them out to scratch - but I deal with predators. Personally I would keep them in 1-2 weeks, and then only let them out part of the day for a while to see just how far they go.

Or, just try keeping the 4 that go to far in the run for quite a while. Once they get comfortable going far, you really have to be strict long enough for them to forget. 1-3 days is not enough.

 

[Folly's place]

After having them in for a couple of weeks, let them out late in the day so they have less time to travel.
Fencing! You might need to fence that area so it's off limits. And spend some time teaching them to come running for treats, always a good thing for them to learn.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Chickens were jungle animals, and prefer areas under trees and shrubs. Open areas are much less attractive to them, and more dangerous too.
Mary

 

[centrarchid]

Feeding station near cover patch. I can tighten ranging habits of my chickens by making so food and other resources are easier to get. This time of year scratch grains is all it takes

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I have 14 chickens that have been free ranging for about 5 months. We have about 2 acres, and they've been fine. Today, a group of 4 decided to cross the deep creek into my neighbor's property. Any suggestions? I wouldn't have thought they'd be that adventurous.

I take notice immediately when they go to nono zones and herd them away. After a year and a half they have been trained well and no longer go to the forbidden places.

 

[sheepchase]

I've been only letting them out for two hours in the afternoon for a week now. They're getting better. We have a fence, but they're adventurous. We both work during the day, so hopefully the retraining will work. I've been giving them some pears or cabbage to keep them close. I'll see how the scratch works. Has anyone tried putting a leaf pile a little closer to them? I wonder if it would keep them busy for a while. Maybe even mulch up the leaves a bit for the garden.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I've been only letting them out for two hours in the afternoon for a week now. They're getting better. We have a fence, but they're adventurous. We both work during the day, so hopefully the retraining will work. I've been giving them some pears or cabbage to keep them close. I'll see how the scratch works. Has anyone tried putting a leaf pile a little closer to them? I wonder if it would keep them busy for a while. Maybe even mulch up the leaves a bit for the garden.

i put tons of Oak leaves in the run and now wonder if they are eating them b/c they are poisonous if eaten. I posted a thread and people said they use em and dont have issues so I hope we'll be good.