I've raised 10 hens about 2 years ago. love them to death, tended to them as pets. my husband has left for the military and i need to relocate with him, unfortunately that means selling my house. i gave my birds to my neighbor who also free ranges them. needless to say they keep coming back home to hang out, dust bathe and what have you. i love seeing them, dont get me wrong, but the people who are looking at the house are put off by them. i FINALLY have someone seriously interested in the house but they are looking to have a baby and dont want the chickens in the yard, is there any way that i can keep them from coming into my yard? help wanted plz. they may still be interested in making an offer if i can keep the chickens out of the yard.
About the only way you'll be able to KEEP them out is a fence...either in your yard or your neighbors. Good luck on the house sale!
When you schedule someone to come look at the house, could you ask your neighbor to keep them penned (even if you have to help round them up) during the walk-throughs?? Or put up a barrier of deer netting between your property and your neighbors. It's cheap, you can barely see it, and it comes 7ft. tall, so you can cut it in half and get more for your money. Yeah, the chickens could still go around it, IF they're clever enough to think of doing that...but maybe they'll get bored trying to figure out how to get "home" and will wander in the other direction....
Ask your neighbor to keep them penned up until after the sale. Then your neighbor and the new owners will have to work this out. The chickens still regard your yard as "their place." The only thing that MAY keep them out is a fence.