Get off my deck!

[MommaChickRN]

What do you guys recommend I do to keep my chickens off my deck?

I have 3 hens and a good sized backyard. I keep their coop open so they are free range - they can go where ever they please. Unfortunately, a lot of times - it's on my deck. It's very frustrating as they poop all over it. We use our back door as our main entrance/exit so there are all kinds of problems with people tracking the poop into the house. I'm starting to feel like an episode of Animal Hoarders. It's gross.

My husband put up some chicken wire on the outside of the posts, but they just fly up and over. Now that we have furniture out there, they like to sit on it. That's MY furniture and I want to sit on it! LOL

I don't want to get rid of my chickens nor do I want to close them in their coop all the time, but I'm coming dangerously close because of all the time cleaning chicken poo.

 

[alhanse77]

We have the same problem with our deck and patio. Last summer we just hosed everything off very frequently. This winter it was a bigger problem since we had to turn the outside water off. We opted to build them a 15'x15' temporary run during the winter. This spring we plan on building a permanent run and plan on letting them free range in the yard starting in the afternoon. I imagine they will still poop on our deck, but hopefully it will be a lot less! Not a definite solution, but hopefully some ideas to get you started! Good luck!

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Build them a run off their coop, or Completely screen in your porch. I'd do the run. That way you can choose when to let them in the yard "supervised" but in the run they can get out scratch around catch bugs and they will be safe from preditors especially if you put a net on the top of the run.

 

[journey11]

You can build them their own run and restrict their access in the yard (maybe let them out an hour or two before dark to range a little). Or if you are set on letting them range all day, then I would invest in some of that electrified poultry netting to fence off the areas where you don't want them. It goes up quickly and easily and is movable. (Trying to find the name of the company for you... Usually they have an ad in Countryside Magazine.)