madteaparty Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 I've spent my morning herding chickens. Yes, this is how it ends. All those hopes and dreams. We have many acres but there is a woody area and a neighbors' house fairly close to one side of the house. Nothing in the other three directions but land and woods that I own. Neighbors are lovely and DDs play and ride bus together but my chickens are smack in the middle of their yard everyday. I've been hearding and calling them with 4/5 success today (one is still there). Anyway I don't want to do this anymore. I also don't want to pen them up because I'm convinced they eat ticks and we are in Lyme ground zero. Also I want free range chickens dammit. Is there a way to train the stupid birds? Serious question. DH could build any number of pens, that's not the issue. The neighbor has indicated casually that they don't mind, and they know of the tick thing too. But I think it's rude to have my chickens and their poop all over their nice green yard. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Familia Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 (edited) A hen house is essential for us because of a coyote problem. We want them closed up at night. For night return, we keep our hens closed up in the hen house for a month or so after being raised under a lamp in the garage. With new hens, this means sectioning off a portion of the hen house for them to stay separate during that month. It seems to help them know home well later and be familiar with the older hens without risk of getting pecked too soon. They simply go in themselves at night, and we only have to remember to close the door. We did have neighbors who wanted the hens out of their yard, so we have sectioned off a part of our property for the chickens. They can get around this sectioned fence (or go through holes made by coyotes, etc), but it slows them down from exploring the neighbor's yard. Instead, they spend time running back and forth outside the fence with the hens inside the fence. We have certainly spend much time herding them back, but the sectioned fence reduces it a lot. Edited November 17, 2016 by secretgarden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet Home Alabama Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Well, just let me say that I sympathize. Our problem with our freerange chickens was their love for my porch. The mess almost drove me crazy. They are now confined to their rebuilt and gorgeous coop and coop-yard- a 20'x40' approx. area. Now, they seem to be happy enough, but I think it was a let-down for them when we cooped them up. Here is the part that might help you.... Because they always return to roost after dark, my boys let them out in early evening. This gives them time to forage without the temptation to lounge on my porch and then they return on their own to the coop! We do not have to call them.They have to prioritize their activities since their free-time is short. It's kind of a best of both worlds scenario. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 I've spent my morning herding chickens. Yes, this is how it ends. All those hopes and dreams. We have many acres but there is a woody area and a neighbors' house fairly close to one side of the house. Nothing in the other three directions but land and woods that I own. Neighbors are lovely and DDs play and ride bus together but my chickens are smack in the middle of their yard everyday. I've been hearding and calling them with 4/5 success today (one is still there). Anyway I don't want to do this anymore. I also don't want to pen them up because I'm convinced they eat ticks and we are in Lyme ground zero. Also I want free range chickens dammit. Is there a way to train the stupid birds? Serious question. DH could build any number of pens, that's not the issue. The neighbor has indicated casually that they don't mind, and they know of the tick thing too. But I think it's rude to have my chickens and their poop all over their nice green yard. Thoughts? Can you put up a fence? I love my chickens, but they poop an insane amount and they slaughter hostas. They scratch through my mulch, and, on occasions when I forget to close the garage door, they poo in there and lay eggs in empty flower pots. Your neighbors are being very neighborly, but I doubt they appreciate the chicken poo or chicken destruction so you are a thoughtful neighbor to make a plan. We use dog kennel panels linked together for a chicken run. I enjoy them, but I figure they have a leg up on regular chickens by having an outside yard and plenty of sun. Next spring when my precious flowers are coming up, they'll be 100% in their pen again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Fence and henhouse. Seriously. It can even be a fence or pen you stake temporarily in different locations - we did that with our guinea pigs and I've seen it with goats too. But free range without any sort of fence is just asking for AWOL or dead chickens, at least up here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Ours love my porch and love to poo. I want Dh to build a fence to keep them in the orchard so they can free range without wrecking my garden. Actually they even love my house. If the door is open they wander right in... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 My grandmother's chickens ran all over the farmyard but came back to the hen house every night. Is that uncommon? They also had all their eggs in the coop, going in and out of the coop all day to lay eggs. I wonder if she trained them to do that. Too late to ask now, but I'm curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Fence and henhouse. Seriously. It can even be a fence or pen you stake temporarily in different locations - we did that with our guinea pigs and I've seen it with goats too. But free range without any sort of fence is just asking for AWOL or dead chickens, at least up here. This is what my sister does for her goats and chickens. She moves it every couple days to every other week or so depending on season and weather. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted November 17, 2016 Author Share Posted November 17, 2016 (edited) My grandmother's chickens ran all over the farmyard but came back to the hen house every night. Is that uncommon? They also had all their eggs in the coop, going in and out of the coop all day to lay eggs. I wonder if she trained them to do that. Too late to ask now, but I'm curious. Sorry I was not clear. They do go in every night. And as far as I can tell they lay in their special little boxes. But I let them out in the morning, and they spend the intervening day crawling over the woods to the neighbor's yard...By free range I mean they free range when I let them out, during daylight hours... ETA that there is a fence of sort between the properties but it's impossible to fence the whole thing in because it is a very long line of woods. They go up and down it and find the entry. Looks like I will have to fence them in, wondering how $$ that will be as I'd want a very large area. I don;t worry about their safety, they've free ranged all their lives with no issues. They found the road, someone honked, they never went back there. Edited November 17, 2016 by madteaparty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Sorry I was not clear. They do go in every night. And as far as I can tell they lay in their special little boxes. But I let them out in the morning, and they spend the intervening day crawling over the woods to the neighbor's yard...By free range I mean they free range when I let them out, during daylight hours... ETA that there is a fence of sort between the properties but it's impossible to fence the whole thing in because it is a very long line of woods. They go up and down it and find the entry. Looks like I will have to fence them in, wondering how $$ that will be as I'd want a very large area. I don;t worry about their safety, they've free ranged all their lives with no issues. They found the road, someone honked, they never went back there. Maybe try an air-horn and scare them back home with that. You can buy them at stores with a boating section and sometimes with the noisemakers for sporting events. I would let you neighbor know first though LOL 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 You can try portable electrified poultry fence if you want. Those are easier if your ground is soft enough to move the stakes in and out each day. Then you just move it as the grass gets picked over. Ours free range, but we also have a fenced area (including top) for when the predators move through. Fencing is expensive if it's more than chicken wire. Chicken wire will keep chickens in but nothing out. If that's all you need it wouldn't be too bad, but if you don't move it you'll have a sandlot in a week as I'm sure you're away. We used 4x4 horse fence for our run. Keeps the big predators out but it was pricey. I have (had more before a bobcat) a lot of chickens though- we have a 10x12 coop and then a 25x10 attached run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted November 18, 2016 Author Share Posted November 18, 2016 DH just built an 8x4 that can be moved. I don't think that's free ranging though, esp for tick consumption purpose. Ugh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 You can try portable electrified poultry fence if you want. Those are easier if your ground is soft enough to move the stakes in and out each day. Then you just move it as the grass gets picked over. Ours free range, but we also have a fenced area (including top) for when the predators move through. Fencing is expensive if it's more than chicken wire. Chicken wire will keep chickens in but nothing out. If that's all you need it wouldn't be too bad, but if you don't move it you'll have a sandlot in a week as I'm sure you're away. We used 4x4 horse fence for our run. Keeps the big predators out but it was pricey. I have (had more before a bobcat) a lot of chickens though- we have a 10x12 coop and then a 25x10 attached run. That's good to know! I wondered if there was an electrified option for chickens. We don't have any here but I will at our next place and I grew up with neighbor chickens and family chickens with my grandfather, however both used coops and fenced areas of various sizes because of the coyote issues down where I'm from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 That's good to know! I wondered if there was an electrified option for chickens. We don't have any here but I will at our next place and I grew up with neighbor chickens and family chickens with my grandfather, however both used coops and fenced areas of various sizes because of the coyote issues down where I'm from. If you don't have a fencing supply store nearby check Premier One online. The batteries are pricey, but it's still cheaper than putting in permanent predator proof fence! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 We have chickens and also live in the woods in tick country. We either pen our chickens (12X12 screened hen house plus a 50X50 fenced chicken yard) or let them free-range in the afternoon (like Sweet Home Alabama's experience). They put themselves away every night and we close and lock the door. FOR THE TICK PREVENTION we have guinea fowl, free-ranging at all times (they fly over the chicken yard fencing). They do leave poop behind, but it's not as copious as the chickens'. They do not destroy gardens like chickens will, though they will dust bathe in loose soil. They are tick-eating machines, unlike our chickens who prefer reptiles/amphibians and larger bugs. Our neighbors know of their benefits, and have told us so, though I don't think they are particularly fond of the noise. We live in farm-country, though, so this kind of thing is pretty much part of the deal of living out here. A heads up -- we must consistently put guinea eggs under broody hens (every summer) because we do lose a number of guineas to predation (hawks, foxes, dogs, etc). We only have them for tick prevention, though, so this is an accepted outcome. As long as we can limit the losses and hatch more every summer, it works. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 Maybe try an air-horn and scare them back home with that. You can buy them at stores with a boating section and sometimes with the noisemakers for sporting events. I would let you neighbor know first though LOLThat's what I was thinking too after I read about them staying away from the road. You can even get an air horn in the sporting goods department at walmart. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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