Free Range with Neighbors

[Aml91]

Hello,
My 3 Barred Rock hens keep going across our road and wallowing in my neighbor's flower beds.
I was thinking it might work to make a sort of chicken sandbox with fresh dirt, maybe some mulch, maybe some compost, to keep them over here. Does that sound like it would work? Any experience with this issue?

 

[wrathsfarm]

I would concentrate more on how to stop your birds from...

A. Going into the road
B. Going into the neighbors yard

Edited to add...
I'm suggesting a fence for an immediate solution. Or monitor your birds while free ranging to stop it.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Ditto on the above.

The road is a big issue. Not only could they get hit but someone could crash trying to avoid them.

Maybe a chicken tractor would work if you cannot fence the property well enough to keep them in.

 

[wrathsfarm]

If budget is a concern. A 'snow fence' or 'construction' fence is an alternative altho slightly unattractive. But floppy enough for a deterrent and would be an immediate fix.
Keeping feed and water far away from the road sometimes helps also.

Photo of fencing I'm referencing...

 

[Aml91]

I definitely don't want them near the road. But they aren't over there regularly, my neighbor had just been putting some flowers in so the dirt was fresh, which made me think they were just attracted to that. If I put together a chicken friendly flower bed here, away from the road, could that solve their need for a dirt wallow? Their food and water are in our barn, nowhere near the road

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hello,
My 3 Barred Rock hens keep going across our road and wallowing in my neighbor's flower beds.
I was thinking it might work to make a sort of chicken sandbox with fresh dirt, maybe some mulch, maybe some compost, to keep them over here. Does that sound like it would work? Any experience with this issue?

You can always try but I would not expect that to work. It sounds like yours free range, they will go where they want to. You give them that option when you free range.

I've had flocks where they stayed within 200 feet or so of the coop practically all the time. Other years with different flock members but the same set-up they roamed a lot further. I had one flock where a group of three hens would leave the flock and roam a long way, including to the road. I ate the hen I decided was the leader and the other two stopped roaming like that. Each flock is different and has its own dynamics.

The only way I know of to control where they go is to either fence them out of something you don't want them in or fence them in where you want them to stay. That may be a fenced around flower beds or a garden, it may be a run of chicken tractor.

 

[Mrs. K]

Ridgerunner has it right. And once they find a good place, they will be back to it. And they can do a lot of damage to new plants in less time than it takes to tell about it.

While I think a dirt bath would be a good addition to your set up, it will not discourage them from going where they like.

Mrs K

 

[Aml91]

If budget is a concern. A 'snow fence' or 'construction' fence is an alternative altho slightly unattractive. But floppy enough for a deterrent and would be an immediate fix.
Keeping feed and water far away from the road sometimes helps also.

Photo of fencing I'm referencing...View attachment 3836873

I've tried keeping my chickens in the goat pasture, which has 5 foot fencing, and they've managed to escape that before now. Does that kind of fencing work for chickens since it's harder to see through?

 

[AGeese]

I guess we now know the answer to the age old question. You could try plastic bird netting with some pvc coated garden stakes and ties or that plastic "deer fence" (which is a gimmick when it comes to deer)

 

[123RedBeard]

My guess is the goat fence has a top horizontal rail? If so ... It's just a good perch for the chickens to launch themselves off from, on the "wrong side"!

While I'm sure they will enjoy and use their own dust bath place ... They already know where to go, and only a car tire will stop them ... Or a good fence!

Chicken's need a fence that is a bit "floppy" on top, so they can't perch or roost on top of it ... Only vertical posts.