They learned how to escape!

[HolyHens]

I got a call from my fiancé at work on Friday saying my chickens are wandering down the street...... Does anyone clip wings that can give instruction??? Maybe if they can't jump and fly that high they can't escape?... They are being teenagers and being horrible little girls but I love them so

Also last night I went to put them away and I found them roosting on the gate to their pen......

They just sat there until I picked them up and walked them into the barn. They were not happy. I need to make a place for them to roost in the barn I can see that now... And my fiancé said he is going to buy deer fence but until then any comments/suggestions??

 

[sumi]

Oh, the escapees! Mine does the same, except they go into MIL's garden to "weed her veggie patch", or so they tell me

Here are instructions and an illustration on wing clipping: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-clip-trim-the-wings-of-your-chicken-to-prevent-flight

 

[BoostPsi]

If your top picture is their escape route they will probably still get out with clipped wings....the sawhorses look like they almost have a ladder to hop up one step at a time.

 

[Blooie]

If your top picture is their escape route they will probably still get out with clipped wings....the sawhorses look like they almost have a ladder to hop up one step at a time.

x2 - and it doesn't look all that high. Even with wing clipped they can still get up high enough to clear that, I think. Do you free range them or are they supposed to stay within their pen? If they stay inside (or are supposed to) you might consider putting some kind of top on the pen, both to keep them inside and to deter overhead predators.

Good luck - I've found that with chickens: Once is tried, twice is learned, and three times is forever! If something works their way, even accidentally, that's the "tried". If it works when they repeat the behavior, it's "learned", and if it works again after that they'll forever keep trying to get the same result, even if you've altered the environment, .

Silly critters!

 

[HolyHens]

x2 - and it doesn't look all that high.  Even with wing clipped they can still get up high enough to clear that, I think.  Do you free range them or are they supposed to stay within their pen?  If they stay inside (or are supposed to) you might consider putting some kind of top on the pen, both to keep them inside and to deter overhead predators. 

Good luck - I've found that with chickens: Once is tried, twice is learned, and three times is forever!  If something works their way, even accidentally, that's the "tried".  If it works when they repeat the behavior, it's "learned", and if it works again after that they'll forever keep trying to get the same result, even if you've altered the environment, .
  Silly critters!

First, thanks sumi!

Thanks everyone! We are building the fence higher now after realizing they can jump high enough and climb ontop of the current.

We do let them free range when we are home.. I feel like that is the problem but I won't stop because it's good for them ugh

 

[Blooie]

I do the same thing...mine are outside when we can supervise. My personal opinion is that ranging time is so good for them that even if they can't be out all of the time, even an hour or two is still better than nothing. We'll see how THAT goes when it's 25 below zero, the North winds are howling, and the snow is blowing! Teehee.