I Need To Vent: Tired Of Escape Artist Chickens

[Nifty-Chicken]

Hey All,

Just want to vent my frustration. I've got a pretty good size backyard so I let my hens out to forage during the day. We don't really have any thing that separates our property and the adjacent vacant lot, and there is an access road to that lot which would allow my girls to travel all around the neighborhood. I put up some chicken wire to keep my girls on our side of the property because without it they go into the vacant lot and then into our busy neighborhood streets. I get a knock at the door to find someone say "Your chickens are out".

For the most part the fence has worked very well. They never try to fly over it and it seems to keep them inside. My problem is this: Every once in a while 1 chicken will escape. It is never the same chicken, I think they take turns. The biggest problem is they escape, but can't seem to find there way back into my property and then into their coop. This is what happened the other night in this thread here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=198

Well, for the life of my I can't find out how they are escaping. I even go along the other side of the fence with some scratch and call them to see if I can lure them into showing me their escape rought... they never fess up, they just pace back and forth.

It wouldn't be so much of an issue if they could just come back in the way they went out once it starts to get dark. Also, I can't really leave the fence open for them to come back in because this will simply let everyone else escape.

I don't really expect anyone to have any magic answers for me... just thought I'd share my frustration and vent a little

 

[Chicken_Lover]

Mine fly over fence and don't know how to get back either. They aren't as cleaver on the way back, their only focus is getting to the coop/flock/food/water. The problem is the bar at the top of the fence, it gives them something to land on. A chicken won't attempt to fly over in one shot. Add visible fencing/wire so they can see that they can't land on the top of the bar. Look for small gaps under the fence as well, my heavy breeds have gone under with only 2-3 inches of space (the fencing flexes up, as their fat butts go though).

 

[BeckyLa]

How high is your fence? My Marans occasionally fly over my 4' chicken wire fence which is stretched between two fences and has no supporting rail on top. What I've noticed is that Bertram will go after a lady who wants nothing to do with him. To get away she will fly straight up and occasionally finds herself on the other side of the fence then can't get back in. So I have to throw Bertram some corn to get him and the girls busy so I can just lift the bottom of the fence and let the girl back in. hth.

(sure wish my teapot smiley was clickable

)

 

[dlhunicorn]

(sure wish my teapot smiley was clickable )

...yes...I miss the smiley/emotes from the "old" board...communicating just isn't the same without them ... sigh....hint...​

 

[Churkenduse]

I have a Polish mix that just few right over my 5' back fence like it was nothing. I have heard if they can they will fly up to the trees and roost.