They Won't Stay Home!!!

[cjdmashley]

I've tried leaving the grass longer, keeping it cut shorter, not letting them out to free range till later in the afternoon, making the kids try to keep them coralled on the lawn, but nothing seems to be working. We have 2 acres and at least 6 more outback that is nothing but woods/nothing and all these girls want to do is go running across the street to the neighbors or to the nieghbors next door. They even ran right through my garden (and didn't touch a thing!!) they always have penty of food and water, plenty of room in their fenced run ( where they have been grounded to the last couple of days) I don't want them to have to stay in their run/coop all the time. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to keep them home with taking out a second mortgage for fencing?

 

[chicknjane]

I feel your pain. My chickens loved my neighbor's yard more than mine. Unfortunately, I had to buy fencing to keep them in. Then I had to clip their wings to keep them from flying over the fence. Then when they learned that if they just flap their wings they could climb up and over the fence, I covered the top with netting. Just so you get the irony, I only have neighbors on one side of me, otherwise I'm surrounded by fields as far as the eye can see. You'd think the chickens would be drawn toward the fields.

I really wanted to let my girls free range, but unfortunately, they saw the grass in my neighbor's yard as greener. It cost me a lot of time, money and dissappointment to finally get it so my neighbor wasn't shooting me dirty looks everytime I walked out my front door.

Before I resorted to the fencing I tried only letting them out at the end of the day and then I would throw scratch grains and other treats around for them. Everytime they'd start for the neighbors, I'd call them back for treats. Overtime though It can get to be more expensive then fencing and then the birds get fat.

Good luck. Hopefully someone else can offer more than their sympathy and understanding.

Marcy

 

[BeccaB00]

haha. yes. yes they will do that. I'm not sure how you would go about keeping them home though

 

[cjdmashley]

very funny to think about but I was pondering trying to strech my hoses down to the road and make the kids squirt any chicken who gets too close to the road or the neighbors...though I will have to make sure to set the pressure myself so the kids aren't blasting the chickens across the yard with water!!

would probably be great entertainment!!

 

[Lbrad7]

I feel your pain...I have over 6 acres and there is a 5 ft chain link fence along the back side of my property and for some reason everytime I let them free range my Lakenvelders feel the need to fly over that fense into my neighbors yard. Drives me nuts!!!!

I guess that is where the saying came from of "why did the chicken cross the road?" LOL Who the heck knows?

 

[NurseDr]

Quote:
A squirt bottle works well for herding chickens, just ask my neighbors!