Free ranging near busy road

[Bweis13]

I’d love to hear some thoughts on this. We live near a busy road, and In 12 years of chicken keeping in this house I have never allowed my chickens to free range because I’m very concerned about them causing an accident. I would never forgive myself if someone got hurt because my chickens were in the road. However, we now have a new dilemma. Our new neighbors behind our house (who are WONDERFUL in every way! No complaints at all!) are new chicken owners. They have been allowing their chickens to free range, and they inevitably come into our yard. We don’t mind a bit and actually enjoying seeing their beautiful chickens in our back yard, hedgerow, and orchard which are far from the road. Lately I’ve seen them getting very close to the road though. I’m concerned for the owners, the chickens, AND the people driving by who might not expect a chicken to pop out into the road. Our farm is very small and is now surrounded by neighborhoods, so I doubt that drivers would be very aware. Last week, my daughter and I did just save a lady’s stray dog in the road, and a lot of cars were stopped for it, but it was a pretty large dog, and many other animals have been killed on this road.

Is anyone else in this situation? Our farm has been here for over 100 years, and we still have a very obvious pasture with horses. The fencing of the pasture does not go all around our entire house though, and it’s just wooden horse fencing. Chickens could walk right through it. Neighborhoods have grown up around the farm. There were chickens here before we bought the property over a decade ago, but I sure don’t want anyone getting in trouble or hurt because of a chicken. Do chickens generally stay out of busy roads and close to their own areas? We’re allowed to have chickens here, but I would hate for my neighbors to have a lawsuit or have something sad happen, and I would REALLY be upset if I were dragged into any problems since mine aren’t free ranged. It’s impossible to keep their chickens off my property. Any advice?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Your neighbors would be most likely liable in the case of an accident involving his birds. Just because you are rural it doesn't mean you still don't need to keep your animals on your own property.

I don't think you can do anything about your neighbors. Hopefully they don't learn the hard way. I'm sure at some point someone may report your neighbor if their birds are on the road enough.

We are rural here too. Thankfully we are off the road quite a bit. Our last farm was right on the road, and chickens were never let out to range.

 

[3KillerBs]

Just because you are rural it doesn't mean you still don't need to keep your animals on your own property.

AMEN! Amen! Amen.

Way too many urban people move to the country, look at all the space, and let their animals run wild.

 

[Bweis13]

Honestly, I don’t think any of our neighbors care if these chickens go onto their property. I think most (like us) enjoy seeing them. Some might mind if the chickens started tearing up their flower beds or something, but to my knowledge that hasn’t happened yet. They haven’t even gotten into our gardens, and the gardens are closer to their coop than the road. I just started getting concerned when I saw the chickens near a little stand of trees that separates our side yard from the road. It’s the road and dangerous situation of having chickens on the road that I’m concerned about. I would hate for anyone to be hurt or for our neighbors to get in trouble! My husband thinks the chickens will be too scared to go out that far, but we don’t have any experience with this since we’ve never free ranged BECAUSE of the busy road.

Do most free-ranged flocks usually stay near their coop? These chickens usually stay in the hedge row between our backyard and theirs. Also, the hens aren’t even laying yet, so it’s a very young flock, though the rooster has been crowing for a while.

I can see our neighborhood being upset about larger animals going off property, but that has only happened once in a blue moon if part of a fence breaks or something, and then everyone pitches in to round up the animal if the owner can’t get it back.

Also, how do people who free range keep their chickens on their own property without using fencing?

 

[Folly's place]

Fencing! It's not about wishful thinking, for sure.
Your sweet neighbors are not in the right here, either letting their birds on other's property, or having them on a public roadway. If things get ugly, I hope your birds aren't going to get sick because of something their birds bring to yours, and that your birds aren't blamed for a crash on the road.
Not all homeowner's insurance policies cover chickens, as they are livestock, not pet dogs or cats, and different standards apply.
Here we have a farm policy, because we also have horses and cattle, and our worst nightmare is having one of our critters causing an accident on the road, which will be our liability insurance to cover, so we don't loose the farm, and everything.
It's not about the loss of the animals, it's about the human's injuries that matter.
In general, it's best to know ahead of time if your home owner's policy covers any damage caused by one of your chickens!
Country living is great, but can't include allowing owned animals to run free to the neighbor's.
Mary

 

[Fishychix]

Honestly, I don’t think any of our neighbors care if these chickens go onto their property. I think most (like us) enjoy seeing them. Some might mind if the chickens started tearing up their flower beds or something, but to my knowledge that hasn’t happened yet. They haven’t even gotten into our gardens, and the gardens are closer to their coop than the road. I just started getting concerned when I saw the chickens near a little stand of trees that separates our side yard from the road. It’s the road and dangerous situation of having chickens on the road that I’m concerned about. I would hate for anyone to be hurt or for our neighbors to get in trouble! My husband thinks the chickens will be too scared to go out that far, but we don’t have any experience with this since we’ve never free ranged BECAUSE of the busy road.

Do most free-ranged flocks usually stay near their coop? These chickens usually stay in the hedge row between our backyard and theirs. Also, the hens aren’t even laying yet, so it’s a very young flock, though the rooster has been crowing for a while.

I can see our neighborhood being upset about larger animals going off property, but that has only happened once in a blue moon if part of a fence breaks or something, and then everyone pitches in to round up the animal if the owner can’t get it back.

Also, how do people who free range keep their chickens on their own property without using fencing?

Quick answer: yes! They will be in the road and much like wild geese, stare at you wondering why you’re in their space. We have a similar situation with neighbors and I have had several near misses. Strangely, it was a fox that actually killed several of them and not the cars. But still not a fence in sight!

 

[Folly's place]

Our coop is fairly distant from the road, and there's horse fencing across most of the road access too. And our wonderful neighbors across from us, who love to watch our critters, are on deck if anyone gets out there, and call us if there's a problem. Our chickens haven't gone to the road for a couple of years, fortunately.
Mary

 

[Bweis13]

Ugh... maybe we can put some cheap fencing up to deter their chickens from coming this direction. We just don’t have a lot of extra money to spend on things like that at the moment. Our homeowners’ policy also covers livestock thankfully. Also, all of our neighbors (including the new neighbors with the free ranging chickens) know that we do NOT free range any animals specifically because of the road, so I guess we would have witnesses that the birds aren’t ours if anything happened.

Thank you so much for your answers! I just don’t feel like I know enough about this... I have never free ranged any of my chickens on any property!

 

[Bweis13]

Our coop is fairly distant from the road, and there's horse fencing across most of the road access too. And our wonderful neighbors across from us, who love to watch our critters, are on deck if anyone gets out there, and call us if there's a problem. Our chickens haven't gone to the road for a couple of years, fortunately.
Mary

We have horse fencing too in most places, but it’s the old wooden fencing. It won’t deter chickens if they want to get out there. We have it in the back between our property and theirs too, and the chickens just go under or roost on it! I do love seeing them though, just like your neighbors. They have some beautiful chickens. Ours we bought more for personality and egg colors and aren’t nearly as pretty. There’s also just something about seeing chickens out and about in the fresh grass and weeds that is so old-fashioned and comforting. I wish I didn’t have to think about the road.

 

[Jeanw]

Thankfully our property is fenced but the driveway gate is usually open. Our hens haven’t ventured into the road yet and have never shown any interest in escape. Our neighbors across the street have dozens of chickens, ducks, geese, etc. and no fence. The chickens and ducks mostly stay away from the road but every now and then a few get run over.