Problem-wandering gamebirds, annoyed neighbors

[Southwind]

My gamebirds were given to me by another neighbor. Having never had any, I put them in my pen, and they promptly flew out. They have been roosting high up in the trees at night, and wandering around by day. They like to "visit" a neighbor across the street. My neighbor is "not amused". She left me a polite but firm note in my mailbox asking me to "do something" about my chickens crossing the street to her yard.
Now, I see few options, and am asking for alternate ideas. I can put up a field fence and 'hope' they don't fly over it, or, I can shoot them.

I prefer not to have to shoot them, but can't afford neighbor problems.

ideas?

 

[NYRIR]

Cover the pen with chicken wire.

 

[ange92040]

Could you clip their wings? Our pen is covered.

 

[Southwind]

Could you clip their wings? Our pen is covered.

If I could catch them, yeah, problem is that ever since they flew out, they have been hobos. My buffs don't misbehave like that.
I can't see climbing 20 feet up a tree at night to catch them. Wondering if a humane trap would work?

 

[Kev]

yes humane trap will work.

also if you can, put wire over the pen first and leave feed by the door then place feed inside the pen/coop move it further day by day... so they will be used to going into the pen by themselves. shut the door every day, open and feed door at same time daily if you can too. that way if they notice the habit and are all hungry at same time one day then the chance can be high they all go in at the same time.. then close door. it's done. more likely there will be that one or two that never go in same time as the others and totally get on your last nerve... use the trap on these after the rest are shut in.

games cannot be cured of wanting to forage, so they may need to be permanently cooped up, or at least totally cooped out for several months, no free ranging at all so they will acclimate themselves to roosting in the coop instead of trees or whatever. then maybe can let them out and hope they will come back inside instead of zooming off to trees or somehting higher on first evening of freedom. the urge to basically act like natural "wild" chickens is way strong in them.

 

[NYRIR]

yes humane trap will work.

also if you can, put wire over the pen first and leave feed by the door then place feed inside the pen/coop move it further day by day... so they will be used to going into the pen by themselves. shut the door every day, open and feed door at same time daily if you can too. that way if they notice the habit and are all hungry at same time one day then the chance can be high they all go in at the same time.. then close door. it's done. more likely there will be that one or two that never go in same time as the others and totally get on your last nerve... use the trap on these after the rest are shut in.

games cannot be cured of wanting to forage, so they may need to be permanently cooped up, or at least totally cooped out for several months, no free ranging at all so they will acclimate themselves to roosting in the coop instead of trees or whatever. then maybe can let them out and hope they will come back inside instead of zooming off to trees or somehting higher on first evening of freedom. the urge to basically act like natural "wild" chickens is way strong in them.

Nice post....so much more helpful than me...lol...

I didn't think about catching them all....ugh....how many do you have to catch?

 

[RedDrgn]

A havahart-type trap or any other lure to get the game birds within your grasp is the first step. After that, I'd clip wings, wire the top of your pen close, and keep them penned for several weeks or until they regularly use the coop for their roost.

Once you've got that going on, then you can start free-ranging. However, the only way to keep them out of your neighbor's yard is to supervise them. Birds know no boundaries, really. They'll just keep walking if they want to. So unless you can put up a fence to keep them from leaving your property and keep wings clipped so they can't fly over it, there's not much hope beyond luck of keeping them out of the neighbor's if you're not watching them.

 

[Southwind]

Good suggestions folks. I spoke with neighbor on the phone this AM, she was really nice about it. She wants to see if a humane trap will work too. I think I will try that, and a little wing clipping, as well as a covered pen.
I only have a half dozen or so birds.

 

[centrarchid]

You may also be able to cause flock to shift it's free-ranging habits, therefore direction it goes in by placing feeding station in direction you want it to go. You will be surprized how much power you have if birds still have access to cover.

 

[Southwind]

I got a fishnet this AM from Walmart, will wait til I throw out feed tomorrow to try to catch em. I'll wing clip all that I catch and throw them in the (fenced in) backyard. If I get the five hens, the Roo won't be wandering off on his own.