I do not have Chickens but have placed my order for late February delivery. My coop is ready to go but my run will be worked on in the coming weeks. One of my questions is, when Hens are allowed out of a confined area (Run or coop) what is involved with getting them back in? How far will they go, neighbors yards by jumping the fence so to speak. How high of a fence to keep them in a small backyard? I know to look out for hawks and all but just curious what the best course of action is here. I know that was a few questions... If I can push my luck, any good videos on setting up/installing a water feeder with nipples (What tools I need etc...) or is there a place I can buy it already made? I like the pvc idea with a bucket feeding it...
Chickens can be a pain to get back into the run. Sometimes you can bribe them in but if they're out eating grass and such, they will usually just run away from you. It took me and my kids spread out walking towards them slowly and 1 manning the door to get them in, usually only 1 at a time so I decided to double the size of my run. Our fencing is 6 foot high and they would fly up and land on it all the time then fly up to the roof to roost which is a nightmare to get them off of! I used bird netting over my entire run to keep hawks, eagles and crows out and also clipped my chickens wings so they wouldn't fly up and get caught and hurt.
Mine free range and come in at night on their own. I cannot however get them in before dusk if I wanted them to. Once they learn the boundaries and are on a set schedule they should (not in all cases) stay in the yard but once they are let out even once they will try to get out again.
Mine also go in on their own, but if I need to put them away for some reason I just whistle for them (if they don't mob me as soon as I come outside). I trained them to come to a whistle by also shaking a bucket with some feed in it at the same time, they'd cone and get the feed. Now, all I have to do is whistle Oh, and you can pretty much bet that at some point or another they're going over that fence and into your neighbors yard (unless the fence is really tall, mine have no problems popping over a 6 footer).
Train them from the time they are young to come running for treats when you shake a can with a little scratch grain in it. Feed them their treats only in the run or the coop, not when they are outside of them. You will find that they will come running as soon as they see you with a can (my birds love bread more than life itself, so they also come if they see me carrying any kind of a plastic bag).
