My chickens are free ranging into dangerous territory

[Lisa-Lu]

We have 14 chickens and until this point, they enjoy free ranging at least an hour or so in the evenings before bedtime and on the weekends when we are outside working. We have over 60 acres on the back of our property that they can roam freely. In the last few days, they have started venturing off of our land on the sides, out of sight, close to our neighbors who have dogs, cats and where hawks could swoop in easily and the road isn't too much further away. I have grounded them and we aren't letting them free range any more, but will they ever stop going that direction? I love letting them free range and seeing them run and ruffle out their feathers in the fresh air, but this is too risky. I'm sure they have found some yummy grubs or something over there and want to keep going back.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You need some kind of fence to keep them off of the neighbors' properties.

 

[Oolala]

My girls found a way under our fence once into the derelict garden of our neighbours. As soon as they were let out to free range they headed straight there, despite having half acre of my garden to roam in but one was killed there one day by a stray dog and fortunately the other two made it back home so from them on I found their escape route and blocked it off. For about a week later they walked up and down the fence and created because they could not get through, after that they have up and just settled quite happily in the garden again. I have noticed with chickens once they find a new area to scratch about in they become obsessed with it until you block it off then after a few days they forget all about it. They will always find something new to interest them

 

[Lisa-Lu]

We share almost a 5 acre side with our neighbor there’s no way we could fence it. For their safety I will have to keep them in the run

 

[Oolala]

We share almost a 5 acre side with our neighbor there’s no way we could fence it. For their safety I will have to keep them in the run

What a shame but better safe than sorry, unless you can extend the run

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

You could try scaring them somehow. My chickens used to hang out in the bamboo by the road... until a dog got into them. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and they stopped going down there.

 

[Oolala]

You could try scaring them somehow. My chickens used to hang out in the bamboo by the road... until a dog got into them. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and they stopped going down there.

Perhaps scarecrows would work too my girls freak out at anything out of the ordinary

 

[centrarchid]

We have 14 chickens and until this point, they enjoy free ranging at least an hour or so in the evenings before bedtime and on the weekends when we are outside working. We have over 60 acres on the back of our property that they can roam freely. In the last few days, they have started venturing off of our land on the sides, out of sight, close to our neighbors who have dogs, cats and where hawks could swoop in easily and the road isn't too much further away. I have grounded them and we aren't letting them free range any more, but will they ever stop going that direction? I love letting them free range and seeing them run and ruffle out their feathers in the fresh air, but this is too risky. I'm sure they have found some yummy grubs or something over there and want to keep going back.

Could you show a google earth image of property indicating where they are going and where you want them to go? Sometimes you can get them to go somewhere by providing a resource they want.