How do I keep my chickens off my front porch?

[kmalichky]

My chickens have 3 acres to roam, yet they choose to spend half their day on my front porch. Any ideas on how to keep them off or luer them elsewhere? If I don't change something soon, my husband will make them stay in their pen. Although I love it that they can free range.

 

[KlopKlop]

Is there shade and water in other areas? That would help

 

[kmalichky]

3/4 of our acreage is shade and they have access to water in their pen

 

[KlopKlop]

Perhaps try enticing them to hang out elsewhere then using scratch grains/treats to draw them wherever you want them.

That or figure out what attracts them to the porch. Maybe it's roosting space or maybe it's cover/protection, something like that. Supply that elsewhere and they may prefer that area

 

[Mrs. K]

Get a squirt gun or the spray nozzle on the hose and chase them wildly a few times yelling and squirting the birds or the ground near them. Do that for a few days and they won't come back. It is best to start on a day where you can do it several times in a row. If there is breaks between as in you are gone, and they can be on the porch, it is much harder.

 

[2lilchkns]

I have had the same issue--- in fact, here is a picture of what my chicken does when she is supposedly "free ranging":

 

[azygous]

Mrs K is onto the best solution. Chickens respond quite well to aversion training. If you make something they are currently enjoying very unpleasant, that will most often discourage the bad habit.

Get creative. I've discovered Nerf guns. Have some fun with it. But you need to follow through and be consistent. It shouldn't take long, but you need to devote a little time to this to be effective.

 

[duluthralphie]

Keeping birds off a porch can be a chore.

We feed them elsewhere as suggested and it helps. The further you feed the or throw their scratch from the porch the better.

My wife gets a thrill throwing a pan of water at my birds when they are comfy on the porch..

Have you considered removing the porch and trading it out for a cement block?



As far as your hubby being negative towards the chickens.

There is an article on BYC, authored by Yours truly on how to help remove spousal problems caused by chickens..

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-have-marital-bliss-and-chickens-too

Good luck, I just went out to one of my sheds and they all followed me both ways, they are back at the steps again. BUT they sit on the ground around the steps because of my wife's wild water throwing arm...

 

[KlopKlop]

My wife gets a thrill throwing a pan of water at my birds when they are comfy on the porch..

Doesn't this quote go against the marital bliss advice, Ralphie?!?!

 

[duluthralphie]

Doesn't this quote go against the marital bliss advice, Ralphie?!?!

Well.. It is a grey area. AND I would never call them MY birds somewhere she would see or hear it. I always use the terms "our Birds" or "Your Birds"....