Help! Chicken won't stop going in neightbor's yard...

[RileyB]

I am assuming that I know what the answers to this question will be: either no more free ranging or putting up a fence. But...I figured I'd post anyway to see if there are other solutions.

My 13 birds (11 chickens and 2 ducks) free range from the time I leave for work in the morning until dark everyday. They have been doing this for over a month. There have been zero issues until this week. Lately I come home from work to find them all in the neighbor's yard. At first it was by our property, but the past couple of days I have found them right in front of the neighbor's front door. We share a long (but narrow) stretch of woods between our properties, so putting a fence or chicken wire up would not be sufficient as they could still go through the back of the woods and up through the neighbor's yard. My worry is that I will not be able to let them free range anymore. :-(

I'm wondering if anyone has ways to "train" chickens not to go on certain property.
Thanks!

 

[galanie]

Well, chickens are kind of dumb. (I know, what a shocker! haha) Anyhow you could still try the fence. They actually might not go the back way, at least for a while. But yeah, fence off an area for them and they'll be a lot safer.

 

[donrae]

Please either fence or contain. Have you seen the non-chicken keeping neighbors posting on here about how to keep their neighbor's free range birds out of their yard? None of them really want the birds there. There really isn't a third option, so in the interest of being a good chicken ambassador please at least start with fencing the most highly travelled area. You may deter them enough, or you may wind up having to contain them completely.

 

[RileyB]

I was not going to let them be in their yard permanently...as I said, it just happened a few days ago for the first time. I am going to figure something out so it does not keep occurring.

Thanks for your input.

 

[goldfinches]

Maybe you could build a portable tractor and more them around every few days. That way, they could sort of "free range".

 

[RileyB]

I think I'm going to have to keep them in the coop when I'm not home and only let them out to free range when I am home so I can keep an eye on them. At least they'll still get some time outside! Putting a fence isn't really an option as the chickens like to go down the length of our yard and through the woods and up into the neighbor's yard from in the woods. It would be impossible to cover that much area. This weekend I'm going to spend a lot of time outside and herd them back to the yard if they go next door so that they'll start to learn not to go there. If that doesn't work I'll take my most hyper dog and have him help me patrol the boundary. I think a few days of seeing him at the boundary will deter them from going there.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Herding wears you out. Soon, you'll get distracted and Bingo!!! They'll be right down at the neighbors causing grief. They'll eat the neighbor's flowers, dig up their mulch beds, poop on the yard and sidewalk and all that faster than you can say Chicken Little.

Flat out, it doesn't work. Chickens have a good memory of where they've gone before and often make a bee line straight toward the neighbor's place. Sorry, so sorry to say, but nothing short of building a tractor and move them around or building a run is ever going to work. Chickens can and will learn to traverse 4-5 acres in search of greener pastures, if you will. They move out farther and farther and farther.

As stated above, you've got to keep your birds on your own property, no if, ands, or buts about it. We live and learn.

 

[RileyB]

I think I may be giving the wrong impression. I keep restating that I will not keep allowing them to go into the neighbor's yard and if need be they will be cooped all of the time.

However, I disagree that this will definitely not work. Does it have a possibility to fail? Absolutely...overwhelming in fact. But I have read accounts of people training their birds to stay out of certain areas. In fact, there's an area of the yard that the chickens previously loved. But too many times of the dogs chasing them out of that area has resulted in them not going there at all anymore. We have tons of green land with trees, bushes, etc. So far they have not explored that area.

Also, maybe I didn't make this clear, but currently the chickens spend the majority of their day in the woods or other parts of our yard. It seems to be the 30-60 minutes prior to dark when they enter the neighbor's yard. So it will not require me standing out there 24/7 to keep them out of the neighbor's. However, as I said, if it does not work (and you are right it has a high probability of failing) then they will be confined to the coop (or a tractor).

Also, since this just started happening, I don't even know if the neighbor's actually mind. (Don't worry...I'm not going to assume that they don't and continue to allow it to happen). We live in a small country town where lots of people have chickens. Everyday I see chickens in yards that are not theirs. I plan to apologize to them this weekend and tell them my plan and that it will no longer be an issue (I don't even think they've noticed the chickens in their yard). Maybe a miracle will happen and they'll say it's fine!

 

[Mrs. K]

Well I think my husband trained mine with a bb gun, he did not want them up at the house, and I think he peppered them a couple of times. But he is not saying! Anway, they don't come up here.

 

[galanie]

It is possible, so long as there is a definite dividing line there. Mine don't go in the road or even get close to it. I stayed out there with them and every time they got within a certain distance of the road, I'd shoo them back. It did take more than 1 or 2 days, but now, even when I'm not out there, they will not go in the road, or cross it.

I tried to get them not to go another way but there is no definite divider they can make sense of, so it didn't work as well. A waterhose, anything will work I think. Just stay there with a rake handle or pole and guide them back over and over and over again. Eventually they learn that they aren't supposed to be going that way. Whether they'll do it or not while you're away depends. There's always the one that is going to go anyway and one or two will follow if you aren't watching.

When mine are out so that they have access to the road, I'm normally out there too. But for various reasons I do need to come back in the house for a minute here and there and I know I can trust them at least that long. They have gotten out on occasion because I forgot to close the gate though, and even after a couple hours, they aren't in the road.

So yes, it is possible. Just a lot of trouble. I don't buy that a fence, even a temporary netting fence, would be impossible to do because you have woods. People build fences through woods every day. Or just outside them. But it's your property and your call. But by gently herding them back and being patient, they can be taught how far they are allowed to go.