How to Keep Your Chickens in Your Yard

How to Keep Your Chickens in Your Yard

The whole point of backyard chickens is raising them in your backyard. It’s why this method of raising chickens is so appealing, from the city dweller to the country folk. However, chickens are curious by nature, and you may find some slipping away and wandering into your neighbor’s backyard.

If you want to prevent your chickens from escaping your backyard, then read over these tips and tricks:

Build a fence

If you want to keep your chickens in your yard, you’re going to have to build a fence. Without one, your chickens will most definitely wander into someone else’s backyard or out into the road. Not to mention that you’ll also be allowing predators to slip inside and threaten your chickens. Chicken wire is one of the easiest and most affordable types of fencing, but there are plenty of other options out on the market as well.

Use net covers

Chickens, like most birds, can fly. So, while a fence can contain them when they’re on the ground, this won’t be the case when they’re in the air. You can install a net cover above your fences to prevent chickens from jumping over your fence or flying away.

Keep habitation away from the fence

Keep coops, dust bathing areas, foraging areas, and other spots your chickens frequently visit away from the fence. The further away your chickens are from the fence, the less likely they’ll try to slip out.

Train your chickens to return to the coop

Your chickens are less likely to wander off if they view the coop as home. By training them to return to their coop each night, you’re less likely to lose chickens or accidentally lock them outside at night. To get started, read over our guide on training your chickens to return to the coop here.

Keep numbers low

The more chickens there are, the less space you have for each chicken. A big part of keeping your chickens inside your backyard is ensuring there is enough space for them to spread out. As a rule of thumb, you should have 3-4 square feet per bird, depending on the size.

For more tips on caring for your backyard flock, read through our blog or contact Chickens for Backyards today.