How to keep my free-range chickens from pooping on my deck, porch, and driveway

[flemmingfarms]

So we are crazy and we got about 60 chicks this spring. Among them are some ISA Browns (the majority), Brown Sex-linked, Black sex-linked, and Australorps. We also have two assorted bantams. They have a coop that is about 15' x 13' and they are free-range 24/7. They go in their coop at night on their own (or close to it). There is a wooded area for them to explore, lots of open grassy areas that are mowed, lots of grassy areas that are not mowed. We are on 6 acres. We feed them layer pellets (they are about 16 weeks now) and they also get fresh "table scraps" that we put out by the coop. Why is it that they come and hang out on our deck, our wooden porch, and our driveway. When they are there they poop all over everything. It is really bad, as I'm sure you can imagine. If we come out to shoo them off, they all run over to us because they associate us with food. Options? We want to keep them free range, but don't know what to do. My husband is about ready to give them away.

 

[Chick Charm]

Put up a movable chicken fence. If you free range they go where they want not where you want. Keep a hose nearby.

Give them some grower feed instead of layer.

Wish ya the best.

 

[SunnySkies]

I have a bunch of small flocks on my acreage, and they also free range 24/7. I fill the feeders before letting everybody loose (ours all figured out to go in) which helps sate them without them seeing me feed, then they hide out for the heat of the day. I'm careful to try to get the kids to not drop food on the deck to keep the one flock from hanging out on the deck; I have one flock of 9 that likes to actually come inside the house if the kids leave the back door open. I also make being on the deck a not cool place to be by spooking them a bit.

Don't know about you, but fencing them away from the house would cost thousands of dollars. So we deal with poop and save the money.

 

[Den in Penn]

Welcome to BYC.
You sure did jump in the deep end. The only way to really deep them off is to fence either them or your house. You could try to lure them away by feeding them far from the house. If you don't have a fenced area or large run for the already think about building one and then limiting the time they have to free range.

 

[TofuKat]

You could try electric poultry netting. It's easy to move and much less costly than permanent fencing.

 

[SunnySkies]

Even to use portable electric fencing around our yard and leaving the chickens on the rest (driveway, etc) is over $2000. I already priced it out once.

 

[TofuKat]

Whoa! That's pricey. Now I feel a little more validated in my "should I/shouldn't I" for about $350 worth of netting.

Maybe you could try hanging out on the deck with Supersoakers and blasting the chickens when they come up?...

 

[SunnySkies]

That is pretty much what I do or shaking a can with some rocks in it. I'm not the OP though, and TBH, I realized this was a side effect of having free range chickens. I grew up on a farm...poop happens. LOL

 

[Chick Charm]

Solutions can be expensive. Man 2k is a lot of money. But that would fix the problem. I feel for ya.

 

[SunnySkies]

I don't know if it's an option for the OP to fence. Not for us. We live with it, and it would seem the chickens are getting the message...haven't had any visitors today on the deck.

I power wash the deck when necessary. No problemo.