Free ranging dilemma.

[suzannesparks]

So I feel bad locking the girls up, but they are destroying my flower beds. I have way too many to fence them off. Advice one what to do?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Which do you feel worse about. locking them up or losing the flowers? The only thing I've found to work is either fence them in or fence them out. You may need to be inventive in how to do that.

I don't know how pretty anything you do would need to be or how hard you want to work at it. All you want to do is keep chickens in or out, you are not worried about predators if you are free ranging. I use electric netting but that's for predators. You might be able to come up with a portable netting that works. Good luck!

 

[suzannesparks]

Which do you feel worse about. locking them up or losing the flowers? The only thing I've found to work is either fence them in or fence them out. You may need to be inventive in how to do that.

I don't know how pretty anything you do would need to be or how hard you want to work at it. All you want to do is keep chickens in or out, you are not worried about predators if you are free ranging. I use electric netting but that's for predators. You might be able to come up with a portable netting that works. Good luck!

Which do you feel worse about. locking them up or losing the flowers? The only thing I've found to work is either fence them in or fence them out. You may need to be inventive in how to do that.

I don't know how pretty anything you do would need to be or how hard you want to work at it. All you want to do is keep chickens in or out, you are not worried about predators if you are free ranging. I use electric netting but that's for predators. You might be able to come up with a portable netting that works. Good luck!

Do they fly over your portable netting, or do you clip their wings?

 

[Ridgerunner]

My netting is 4' high. Mine fly up to roosts 5' high. If mine want to fly over the netting they can, but they don't. There are a few tricks to that. I do not clip wings.

When I have a bunch of young cockerels in there sometimes one gets out. When they are having their fights if one is trapped against a fence he may go vertical to get away and may wind up outside the netting. On very rare occasions a hen may get out trying to get away from an amorous rooster. Again, she goes vertical when trapped against a fence.

I find that if I build tight corners more are going to get trapped against the fence. 90 degree corners are OK but any sharper than that is an invitation to trouble. More open corners are even better.

Give them room and wide open spaces. I once set it up with a fairly narrow corridor (10' to 15' wide) leading to a fresh area for them to graze. Big mistake. Don't have narrow corridors.

 

[3KillerBs]

My netting is 4' high. Mine fly up to roosts 5' high. If mine want to fly over the netting they can, but they don't. There are a few tricks to that. I do not clip wings.

I also have 48" netting and only one of my girls ever goes out. I have accepted the fact that Chipotle, my California White can go in and out as she pleases. She never goes far and hasn't attempted to eat either my vegetables or my SIL's flowers yet.

The others are too heavy to fly unless powerfully motivated.