How to Keep them Off the Deck

[AngieB]

We let the chickens free range during the day, but toward the end of the day when they work their way back toward the house, they like to hang out on our deck and poop on the deck table and chairs and all over the deck. We chase them off repeatedly, but they just come back. So if we're not home or in the house not paying attention, it's a free for all out there.

Does anybody have any tricks to keeping chickens out of a certain area? I woudn't mind a chicken visit on the deck, but the poop is ruining our deck chair cushions and the kids are tracking poop in the house. We have 11 chickens, so it's a lot of poo! Is there such thing as chicken repellant?

Angie

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
We have a gate on our deck, that keeps them off when we close it. Could you add a kiddie gate maybe?

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

A kiddie gate may work, but they may learn to hop or fly over it. The only real way to get them from getting on the deck is to pen them up.

 

[AngieB]

It's a big low deck that goes along the whole back of the house and has no railings, so it would take too many gates.

I'm thinking we might just need to fence off part of the back yard so the chickens can free range in the lush wooded section that they love, but not get to the deck. I'm just not sure if DH is in the mood for another project right now.

I just wish we could train the little buggers.

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
You don't need to buy an expensive fence, just get those metal posts you bang into the ground and dog wire - that 2x4" stuff. You can put it up yourself. We did that this season, they stay behind it, rather than rampaging through my gardens

I've got all heavy breeds, though, they can fly a bit, but they don't tend to.

 

[Siler]

I created a new vegetable garden near my porch that wasn't fences off at first. They stomped on my celery until it was dead so I put up some extra trellis that I had on hand and it did the trick. They never jumped over it. They still get on my porch, but I bring out the broom and they run. All I have to do is swing it in their direction and they run. My SIL just laughs and says I should wear a sun dress and an apron and the mental image is complete.

 

[AngieB]

Quote:
LOVE THE IMAGE!

Well, yes, I could do some simple fencing myself. Our backyard is kinda pretty though, with lots of perrenials. So the fencing would kind of ruin the look. So I have to decide if I want to clean poo every day off the deck, or wreck the view.

 

[Reinbeau]

You'd be surprised, use the green fencing and it really kinda melts into the background. My yard is all gardens, I can't let them destroy them, so I've run the fence from the side of the garage across the backyard, it gives them plenty of space, and the fence really doesn't intrude on the landscape much. I'll take a picture later on and post it.

 

[karl E lutz]

I chase mt chickens back to the coop when they come on the deck. Works for me!

 

[AngieB]

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I'd love to see a pic!