Moving chickens in a pen to the garden

[Beth2017]

Hi All,

Newbie here! I'd like my 5 girls to have a chance to be in the garden for a few hours. Is there an easy way to move them from one place to another? Free ranging is not an option here. I have a pen that I'd like to use. How do I get them to walk in the pen to the garden?

Thanks,
Beth

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

The absolute easiest way is to buy some chicken wire, some U posts that are short, and make yourself a little path to the garden for them.

So in other words make a little road for them to travel down to get back and forth. They need access to their nestboxes too if your pen doesn't have one, so you can leave the doors open to your pen and the coop, with the fencing in between.

 

[Mrs. K]

I am not sure what you mean by a garden. Do you mean the yard, or do you mean a vegetable garden? And how old are your birds.

If they are chicks, you can put them in the vegetable garden once it is fairly established, cause they are too little to scratch things up. One summer when I got some late chicks, I would carry them in a cardboard box to the fenced garden, they would hide out under the beans and eat baby grasshoppers, I just put the box on its side, and at dark, they would all be back in the box all huddled up, and I took them back to the garage.

But if they are even 8 weeks old, they will demolish even an established garden. However, if you want to move a flock, get a long stick that you can tap the ground with, open the gate, and throw a little scratch well inside the gate. Position yourself outside the fence so that the hens are between you and the gate. Then reach out and tap the ground and slowly take a step in the direction you want them to go. The trick is not to rush, but move a step at a time, the birds will naturally move away from you, getting closer to the gate. If one starts in the wrong direction, just tap the ground in front of her, and I always say "hut, hut". When they stop moving away from you, take another step, but not until most of them stop. They again will move toward the gate, and then one will see the treat, and you have got it. The trick of doing it fast, is to do it slow! Many people try and hurry and it just flusters everyone.

Or another way, is EVERY time you feed them take the same colored bucket, shake it and call "Here chick, chick, chick" and with a few days, they will all come running.

Mrs K

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/817880/pictures-of-my-brand-new-chicken-tunnel

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/420333/chicken-tunnel

and this guy deserves a medal:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/772337/chicken-run

 

[Beth2017]

Thank you! I like the tunnel idea. The girls are 20 weeks old. I want to let them in to the garden to clean up when crops are done. I planted alfalfa where I want to plant asparagus figuring the girls would be able to turn it over and loosen the soil. Do you think floating row cover as a tunnel would freak them out? How about deer netting? Just to get them from the coop to the garden pen. They would only be in the garden pen for a short time when I get home from work. You guys are the best!

Beth

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Thank you! I like the tunnel idea. The girls are 20 weeks old. I want to let them in to the garden to clean up when crops are done. I planted alfalfa where I want to plant asparagus figuring the girls would be able to turn it over and loosen the soil. Do you think floating row cover as a tunnel would freak them out? How about deer netting? Just to get them from the coop to the garden pen. They would only be in the garden pen for a short time when I get home from work. You guys are the best!

Beth

Anything would work that you can swing- deer netting, chicken wire, etc.
They would get used to a floating row cover I think- just guessing.

Those things aren't predator-proof though of course, so make sure you don't have neighborhood dogs wandering through your yard, etc.

Keep your eye on them if they are going to be vulnerable to dogs is my advice. Lots of people only free range when they are there to keep an eye out for hawks, dogs, etc.

Have fun and enjoy your chickens!

 

[Beth2017]

Thank you. I've got a pen to put them in once they're in the garden. They will be supervised and go back to the coop after a couple hours. Think I'll get some chicken wire and hoops.

Beth

 

[sunflour]

The absolute easiest way is to buy some chicken wire, some U posts that are short, and make yourself a little path to the garden for them.

So in other words make a little road for them to travel down to get back and forth. They need access to their nestboxes too if your pen doesn't have one, so you can leave the doors open to your pen and the coop, with the fencing in between.

Thanks for the idea. I am planning a chicken playground with their own compost to "work" close to their coop/run. Found out in past attempts that I am not a chicken herder.