Keeping them home?

[lablover]

I have 5 girls (not laying yet) and a rooster. They're starting to wander to the neighbor's yard, and right across the street is a whole chicken community. There's roosters (always crowing) and hens of all breeds and sizes. My little rooster is starting to answer the crowing he hears, and I worry that they will wander over there. Is this likely?

 

[galanie]

Absolutely. They will. You need a fence. Not only to keep yours in, but to keep dogs out.

 

[Gullygarden]

You either need a really high, secure boundary fence around your yard or, and this is what I use, a solar powered electric mesh poultry fence. This works with adults but not baby chicks, and is a great way to protect from dogs. Google Premier. They come in several lengths and are easy to move for mowing. I had a problem with dogs until I put one of these in in 2009.

 

[lablover]

Well, the neighbors have a chain link fence keeping theirs in, and some are in coops. However, their banties can go where they please, and will sometimes scratch and hunt for bugs along the roadside. So it's not really like mine can get to the other chickens, but I'd just prefer that they stayed home. I guess I need to start moving their coop back towards the horse barn so that they can hunt for bugs among the horses.