Question about free-ranging and roads

[pattycake]

In your experience, do chickens naturally avoid a fairly busy road? We have a big pasture that abuts a road that gets some commuter traffic, and no fence yet. If I let the chicks free range in the pasture, will I have to worry about them wandering into the road? Or will they be too nervous?

 

[Motherhenandflock]

No. They seem to go to the roads, highways, around here looking for wheat that has fallen off the trucks.
They get hit, too, like any other animal that gets on the road.

 

[justusnak]

They will be drawn to the road for the gravel and such on the side. Last summer, my InLaws came out for a cookout. My FIL told me " we could have had chicken, as he hit one on the way here" UGH! He said it was totally unavoidable. It came out of no where. Hope you can get a fence up soon!

 

[pattycake]

Yipes! I guess I'll keep them in tractors until we can swing a fence. They seem so scared of loud noises, but I guess like anything they get used to it.

BTW, the board is so great. I could never have gotten such a good and knowledgeable start in chicken raising without all of you