Free Ranging Neighbors

[V-NH]

So, I have an interesting question. I feel like I already have the answer, but others input is welcome. My neighbors also raise chickens and have a flock of about 10. They started free ranging them yesterday and their flock has spent several hours on my property. The only reason I haven't free ranged mine all the time is because it is so hard to keep them away from my neighbor's yard. My laying flock has around 30 chickens in it. Do you think it is a safe assumption that because my neighbors are allowing their flock to come over onto my property, that they don't care if we let ours out and they end up on theirs?

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

 

[bobbi-j]

I'd go talk with them. Apparently you don't know your neighbors well? Or don't get along with them? Those are the only two reasons I can think of that it would be awkward. Nothing wrong with good communication. "Hey, I love your chickens! Did you know that they spend most of the day at my house? Just letting you know that I am also planning on free ranging my flock, so we may end up with a mixed flock here. Oh, and I hope it's no problem for my chickens to wander over to your place since yours are always at my house. If it is a problem, maybe we can figure out a fence between the two of us." I know there would be better ways to say this, but it's all I can think of at the moment.

 

[MEMama3]

I'd say it's fine, but you may have some integration issues and you may not get the same flock home every night. Another consideration is the health of the other flock. Do you trust that their birds are healthy?

 

[V-NH]

Their flock is visually healthy. It is pretty much living in our yard and hanging out at our chicken coops anyway at the moment. I actually don't mind at all that their flock is over here, I just don't want them to get upset if I let mine out and they end up with 30 chickens in their yard. Maybe I should just go talk to them about it, but that seems awkward

 

[centrarchid]

Looks like a classic case of overpopulation where neighbors flock already exceeds the forage and cover needs of their property. Release of you birds will likely cause foraging of combined group to occur over a much wider area. Within much of that, foraging activities such as scratching and consuming plants will intensify. Dynamic of foraging areas will also change greatly. Do you have potential third parties with properties birds will forage? A flock of 40 birds is relatively large which will result in birds going several hundred feet if not confined or provided with resources like food and cover. How will you ensure equitable feed bill costs?

I predict some interesting conflicts.

 

[V-NH]

Looks like a classic case of overpopulation where neighbors flock already exceeds the forage and cover needs of their property. Release of you birds will likely cause foraging of combined group to occur over a much wider area. Within much of that, foraging activities such as scratching and consuming plants will intensify. Dynamic of foraging areas will also change greatly. Do you have potential third parties with properties birds will forage? A flock of 40 birds is relatively large which will result in birds going several hundred feet if not confined or provided with resources like food and cover. How will you ensure equitable feed bill costs?

I predict some interesting conflicts.

Yah, it already got interesting yesterday. I always check my birds at night. I let mine all free range yesterday without supervision for the first time. Usually I only let them out when I am outside. Anywho, when I went to check them, half of my neighbor's flock was roosting with mine. I put them outside and sent them home, but that happened really fast.

I live in a very rural area and we're the only people who actually have adjacent homes. Everyone else is pretty far away. Their flock spent most of the day over here again today. I think I figured out what is attracting them, though. I have my meat chickens in a movable pen (think a 4 foot high tractor) and I feed them from a trough. They knock all kinds of food onto the ground and the neighbor's chickens were hanging out by it eating what they spilled.

On a side note, their flock is much friendlier than mine! I was able to pet several of their chickens. Mine (white leghorns) wouldn't tolerate that for a half a second

 

[RedDrgn]

I'd strongly encourage you to talk to your neighbors and not make any assumptions. They technically should have extended you the same courtesy before letting their flock roam and potentially end up in your yard (like they did), but someone has to start somewhere. If you trust that their birds are healthy and well-kept and aren't a health risk to your birds AND you don't mind them roaming your property, then that makes it easy. Just go let them know that their birds have been down visiting you and your birds and let them know that you have chickens, too (so they can also evaluate whether they want their flock anywhere near yours, too!). If you both mutually agree that mixing the flocks is fine, then you're golden. If not, then you need to work out your boundaries and a means to maintain them.

Better to know than to guess!

 

[V-NH]

Yah, I will have to find the time to go and talk to them. They spent all day over here again. I guess my yard is just a better chicken yard

 

[V-NH]

Well, it might not be an issue now. I was standing outside tending to my meat birds and a coyote ran out of the woods about 10 feet away from me. It immediately went after their flock. I ran inside to get a gun, but by the time I got outside it was pretty far into their property. They weren't home and it is illegal to discharge a firearm on someone elses property without their permission in the town I live in, so there was nothing I could do about it. Not sure how much of a flock they are going to come home to.

 

[Cluky]

I think it would be ok. however I am interested how the two flocks would mix to start with.