We are moving next week, and the chickens are coming with us, but their new area looks like this

[DentedVW]

First of all, I accidentally deleted the post after putting in a few paragraphs. So Frustrating! Ach!

So our six chickens are coming with us, and we have to be all moved out by the 31st. Unfortunately, the back yard of the new place is an absolute jungle. I will take a few overall pictures another day, but for now I have a close up. I didn't have a camera, only my phone, so the contrast was bad, and I couldn't get a good one of the yard as a whole.

You can't see the sky at all from the house. There is at least thirty years of rampant vine growth, mixed with scrub oak, choke cherries, and conifer trees. The ground is completely covered with vines. Vines on vines on vines. Vines choking the trees, vines as big as my arms. Just to clear a rough area, I spent over an hour with a chainsaw, another hour clearing that debris, and a half hour hacking at a four by three area with a hatchet to clear the vines on the ground, and that part was largely unsuccessful. I think I need a weedwacker with a blade on it, or a sawzall with a really sturdy blade. Maybe sacrifice a circular saw with a junk blade. It's bad. But, is it too bad for chickens?

I may not get the final enclosure as I want it completed next week, but I built a new coop, and I am going to at least string up chicken wire for a hasty enclosure, to last a few weeks to months until we get the yard area tamed a little more, and I can set posts. Heck, might just pound in some rigid conduit with a sign post smasher, that's how terrible the going has been so far.

Here is a close up.


There are SOME pine needles in there, but most of what you are seeing there is vines on vines. Small ones here, but they are thicker underneath this mat of small vines and shoots. IT"S CRAZY. There is not one single inch of grass back here. All northern Utah scrub mess and vines.

Here is a more overall photo, not a very good one, sorry. This area is about ten feet from the house, five feet from the property line. I am preparing it according to guidelines set out by the city.




So, my question is, will the chickens tolerate it? It's shady, which is a bonus. Right now, they are in a normal all grass backyard, and the shade is a bit thin. They spend most of the day chasing it from one area to the next, staying cool.

Thoughts, advice?

 

[DentedVW]

Ah, we have six Rhode Island Reds, about a year and a half old, making eggs every day. We are going to try and corral them into a large metal grated dog kennel for the move, unless someone has a better idea.
Not sure how we will catch them all, but it will probably be ridiculous to watch. Some of them we can pick up, as they give up easily, and squat down, and allow you to pick them up and carry them around, but half of them are more tenacious.

Accepting all advice in this endeavor.

 

[DentedVW]

Only moving about two miles, for what it's worth, so we may move three at a time, so they aren't too crowded in the large dog crate/kennel.

 

[chickmama1662]

why don't you put them in the crate the night before. They should be easy to catch once the go to roost. They would be allright in the crate till morning then you could transport them to the new place.

 

[DentedVW]

I can see it now, once they settle in, I open the coop up, and pluck one out before it all goes to heck.
It's worth a shot, at least for comic relief.

But what are your thoughts on the new environment? It's a disaster, and I will clear what I have to, but holy moly, I have to move the house too, I want to make sure they are going to be comfortable enough for a few weeks of just checking in, feeding, watering, cleaning, etc before I let them roam a bit while constructing the proper enclosure.

My new neighbors have chickens, and their back neighbors as well, and theirs roam freely 24/7, roosting in their little house at night, but they also have a normal grass yard to roam in. I am concerned that ours will defect once they see that the grass really is greener, or existent, on the other side. Plus, our yard is so thick would they get lost? Stuck? Simply run away? Does that happen?

 

[jdywntr]

Before I moved 6 weeks ago, I was in the suburbs in Florida . My girls had a grassy backyard with alot of shade, for a while. They tore up the grass and after a few months, there was nothing green within 3 feet of the ground. I gave them fresh veggies/greens on a daily basis. As long as the backyard is securely fenced and there is nothing that they can jump up on to get over a fence I think they would stay. I like the idea of keeping them locked up for a week or so after they arrive so they know where home is.

 

[Vicky2479]

I agree with jdywntr, they will be fine, in fact the will probably be in heaven scratching for all the bugs in there, I am sure there will be a few. Mine have lawn that they can free range on but they will choose the undergrowth and flower, or weed beds as I call them every time

 

[Sylvestor12]

yeah, you might wan to hack out some weeds in a flat dry area so your hens can dustbathe but your chickens will have a party with all the bugs in the underbrush/growth. May be once you're squared away you might want to chop the biggest vines so they at least have a chance at getting past the vines. Usually chickens stay by "home" so I wouldn't worry about them running off. Good luck with your property and I wish you happy living in your new home.

 

[bobbi-j]

Sounds like a wonderful place for chickens! Plants to eat, bugs to chase and dig for, pine cones and chokecherries to eat... I wouldn't even worry about clearing an area for dustbathing. They certainly can do that for themselves. They may even help you by digging up and scratching out some of those blasted vines. They may not know what to do with themselves with so much fun to be had! I agree with just picking them off the roost after they go to bed at night and crate them then. Keep the light as low as possible to keep them from waking up and freaking out.