How do I stop my chicken from trespassing?!

[Flock Leader]

Hi everyone!

We live on a house a bit off the road... not a far-flung farm, but we have a lovely large area all around - plenty of space for chickens to roam (we have no fences) without straying into other people's property.

So, we never experienced problems with wandering chickens/annoyed neighbours until recently, when someone who lives close to us got 4 cochin chicks. One of my ex-bats started going over there on a regular basis, and it must be to hang around with the chicks, because with all due respect, our feed and free range are much better! It's really quite a long-distance walk for a chicken, but she's very purposeful, because she just goes right back there if brought home. Sometimes she doesn't return for the night.

My neighbour is very kind, but she still told me it's unacceptable because the chicken gets into her house and poops LOL. I told her the chicks will soon be doing the same thing if she keeps the front door open, but after all, this isn't any of my business... my job is to restrict my birds.

I tried keeping my hen in confinement for a few days, a week, hoping she would forget her way there. Didn't help - as soon as she was free, she went right back to my neighbour's place. Right now she's caged, which I'm truly sorry for, being that she's an ex-bat and was brought here with the purpose of "freeing" her! I can't even keep her in the nice big coop, because I don't know how I'd be able to let all the others out in the morning and only keep her inside, they're always in such a scramble to get out!

So... what should I do? Is there a possible solution, or is it better just to give her away?

 

[cafarmgirl]

Is it possible to just set up some temporary fencing to keep her in? Something simple and fairly easy, like poultry netting? Maybe if she's kept home long enough she'll get over her urge to visit.

 

[Flock Leader]

I'll ask my husband about this! Also, I'm wondering how she even knew there are chicks over there. I didn't know until I came to pick her up. Is it possible she heard their cheeping and it stirred some "motherly" feelings in her?!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Chickens expand their "territory" bit by bit. After awhile, I've had them wander down 1/4 mile. That can be unacceptable if a neighbor is there who doesn't want your birds on their property. That's that.

We all have a responsibility to keep our livestock on our own property. Period. There isn't any doubt about it. Fencing is the only answer. Small, moveable type, or fence in an acre for them, but fencing is your only option. Best regards,

 

[Cebarmlds]

How about getting a few chicks of your own for her? maybe she'd love them and stay home.

 

[Flock Leader]

How about getting a few chicks of your own for her? maybe she'd love them and stay home.

I've thought of it and actually my hands are itching to raise some more chicks, but I'm restraining myself because I know now is not a good season for chicks. It's already November and soon it will be too cold, and we simply don't have the conditions to keep chickens indoors for an extended period. Alas, chicks will have to wait till spring.

Chickens expand their "territory" bit by bit. After awhile, I've had them wander down 1/4 mile. That can be unacceptable if a neighbor is there who doesn't want your birds on their property. That's that.

We all have a responsibility to keep our livestock on our own property. Period. There isn't any doubt about it. Fencing is the only answer. Small, moveable type, or fence in an acre for them, but fencing is your only option. Best regards,

Generally speaking, you are of course right, but does it make sense for an ex-bat to be the one with the largest territory of all our chickens? I'd have thought it makes sense for roosters to wander away more, and all our other ex-bats never stray too far from the coop, they are always in sight. She was the same, and it's not like she just strayed... she makes a straight beeline for that yard and STAYS there, so I'm sure the chicks are somehow the trigger.

Of course, I have a responsibility to make sure my livestock doesn't bother anyone else, that is why I locked her up (and that's why I won't let our goats wander off unattended), but while she is the only chicken who reaches someone else's property, we won't do a fence of our entire area, in particular since they can jump/fly over it anyway. For now we've agreed to send her away to our friends' for a while, then maybe we'll try bringing her back.

 

[mrcman]

I have to agree with Cafarmgirl and Fred. We had that very problem with a neighbor and ended up getting the electric poultry netting to keep them confined. If you put a couple together you can get a fairly large area.

Tony

 

[Flock Leader]

I just wanted to post an update on how this story ended: our neighbour decided she doesn't want the chicks after all, and gave them to us. We showed them to our chicken and she didn't get far away from the coop ever since. So her wandering away definitely had to do with the fact she wanted to be with the chicks.

 

[aoxa]

I just wanted to post an update on how this story ended: our neighbour decided she doesn't want the chicks after all, and gave them to us. We showed them to our chicken and she didn't get far away from the coop ever since. So her wandering away definitely had to do with the fact she wanted to be with the chicks. 

Problem solved. Such a cute story. I can't believe she WANTED to hang out with chicks. That doesn't seem normal for an older bird who is not broody.


My turkeys and one rooster were trespassing on my neighbours property. So I stapled 250 feet of fencing through the woods (on trees) along the property line. They won't go around it.

 

[Flock Leader]

Problem solved. Such a cute story. I can't believe she WANTED to hang out with chicks. That doesn't seem normal for an older bird who is not broody.
My turkeys and one rooster were trespassing on my neighbours property. So I stapled 250 feet of fencing through the woods (on trees) along the property line. They won't go around it.

I know, I couldn't believe it either! I guess chickens really are more complex creatures than we usually give them credit for.