Teaching chickens not to roam too far

[ChickyNicky05]

So, we live on just under an acre of land, and most of it is wide open. One side has a fence between us and our neighbors and the fence is covered in growth of climbing weeds and overhang of a grape vine. The coop is basically right next to this fence. The other neighbor lives much further away and they do not have a fence, just some bushes spaced apart along the property line. Every morning we open up the coop and the chickens all hop out and go on their happy way to peck at everything they can find along the fence line. Recently we have found them in both of our neighbors yards. Somehow they managed to get over the fence but those neighbors thought it was funny, so no harm there except it makes us nervous that they will not be able to find their way back... and the other neighbors, well, they are not very nice. We have struggled with them for the last year. They have complained many a times to our landlord and actually threatened to sue because we had a trail cam up and they thought we were recording them! I am really worried about the chickens continuing to go into that yard as I can only imagine the repercussions the neighbors would have. I feel as though my only option here is to create a pen for the chickens to be in all day and not allow to them free range. Does anyone know if you can train a chicken to stay close by?

 

[Folly's place]

You really can't train your chickens that way, not well enough.
Your birds, your responsibility to keep them home! Fencing is the answer; electrified poultry netting works very well and is portable. See Premier1supplies.com.
Birds going to the neighbor's are a invasion of their privacy, and the birds might not return home one day. They would be in the right, not you.
Build a run or something, don't impose on the neighbors any more.
Mary

 

[ChickyNicky05]

You really can't train your chickens that way, not well enough.
Your birds, your responsibility to keep them home! Fencing is the answer; electrified poultry netting works very well and is portable. See Premier1supplies.com.
Birds going to the neighbor's are a invasion of their privacy, and the birds might not return home one day. They would be in the right, not you.
Build a run or something, don't impose on the neighbors any more.
Mary

We would never use any electric fencing. I will use regular fencing. No need to harm any animals. Just like those bark collars.... awful inventions.

 

[Folly's place]

Depending on your breeds of chickens, six feet high fencing won't be enough. Electric poultry netting is designed to save your birds from ground predators, a very good thing!
A covered run may be your best option.
Mary

 

[staceyj]

Chickens are smart but also have a brain of their own!
You know that saying
“The grass is always greener...?”

My suggestion is you build a large run for them or put up an enclosure of some type.

You might want to look into a mobile chicken tractor!
Since you’re a renter, a mobile tractor would be great because wherever you go next you could take it with you!

Nasty, paranoid neighbors are no fun but on the other hand, knowing what a mess chickens can make and how destructive they are to vegetation makes me think in allowing them to repeatedly get onto their property you’re throwing gas on the bonfire.

Your “nice” neighbors might enjoy the chickens antics but not think the poop and mass destruction is all that cool either but just not want to hurt your feelings.

So in the meantime, maybe you could just let your birds freerange when you can be outside keeping tabs on them, take a breath and let all the BYC peeps give you tons of constructive ideas!

 

[BreanneRN]

Just as it would not be your responsibility to build a fence to contain your neighbors dog, it is not their responsibility to build a fence to contain your chickens... If you want to free range your chickens, the fencing is on you. Since you are renting, I can understand your reluctance to do this. The best option might be to build the biggest portable run you can, which you can take down and take with you in the event that you move.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Put up a fence! If the chickens feel they have enough room to roam they won't bother to jump over it even though they can. I had to do that because of coyotes and dogs trying to get my chickens during the day while they free range. They have a 4 foot fenced in area about 50' x 50'. They have never bothered (so far!) to jump over or fly over the fence. They are content in this area, you may want to try it. Use t-posts and goat fencing, you can always take it down and take it with you when/if you move! Good luck.

 

[staceyj]

We would never use any electric fencing. I will use regular fencing. No need to harm any animals. Just like those bark collars.... awful inventions.

My chickens live in a very secure yard, freerange when I can keep an eye on them.

As @Folly's place above mentioned, an electrified pen would be a good choice to keep your birds safe since they’re out in the open, but premiere 1 also makes a non electrified fence called their “non electric hen pen”.
It’s very free-form, 48” tall, and my birds are satisfied to stay behind it.
Could they get over it?
Yup.
But their area is big enough that they don’t feel the need.

I hope you find a solution to your problem that suits you.

 

[Chickassan]

An electric fence won't hurt your chickens they're insulated and it will only warn predators in fact smart ones will sense the current and give up before they try.

 

[kwhites634]

We would never use any electric fencing. I will use regular fencing. No need to harm any animals. Just like those bark collars.... awful inventions.

I don't mean to start any arguments, but you're wrong about electric fencing & bark collars. I have plenty of experience with both. In fact, I once sold & installed electric fence for a living. Electric fencing, as well as bark collars, works on direct current (DC). It will shock & startle, but will not harm. Chances are, any animal touching a "hot" wire will avoid it thereafter. Alternating current (AC or house voltage), if high enough, will kill. When I had horses, I kept them behind 5 strands of smooth aluminum wire carrying 6,000 volts. They got bit a time or two, and quickly learned a healthy respect for the fence.

I've never kept chickens behind electric fencing or netting, so I can't tell you how much current it takes to keep chickens at home, but better a chicken trained to respect an electric fence or net than a dead chicken at the hands of an irate neighbor.