4 Easy Ways To Keep Chickens Out of My Yard

There can be different reasons why people would want chickens out of their yard. Whether it may be for protecting the place, keeping them away from plants that they may peck on, or keeping them from eating dangerous things. So as people may ask, “What are the ways on how to keep chickens out of my yard?”

4 Easy Ways to Keep Chickens Out Of The Yard

Fences

In the talks of keeping chickens out of the yard, fences have been one of the go-to solutions. Chicken fences are effective but this may take more effort than most solutions, but when done the right way, it can be one of the longest-lasting solutions too.

You can always install the more accessible types of fence. It may last longer with the proper care, but as much as possible, a sturdy and well-made wall is your best way to go.

Asking and Communicating

This may sound comedic but asking works for chickens. It’s not precisely the polite type, but indeed, it will register to them if you alarm them enough. It will eventually imprint in their minds by gesturing and alarming them of your disagreement and their unwelcomeness in those territories.

Creatures can sense whenever they are not welcome, and chickens are one of the types to get jumpy in unfamiliar places. Some chickens are even nervous when there’s a presence of people they are not familiar with.

A simple calling them and gesturing them to go back to their space will suffice. The point is to let them know that they are not welcome in your yard. Perhaps you can wave your hands to gesture them away.

This method is one of the easiest and somehow effortless ways of trying to shoo the chickens out. It’s also good to remember that this is also trial and error. There is no assurance that the chickens will not come back. However, if you keep on doing it for some time, they will get the message.

If the chickens you are trying to ward away are yours, it will be much easier. As the owner, you are most likely to have developed a connection with them, and communicating would not be as hard as warding off unfamiliar chickens. Having a prior connection with your chickens will give you one step ahead.

Scarecrows

While this could be very familiar, it can serve as a substitute whenever you are not there to shoo them away. This has been an old way of shoo-ing birds, especially in places where farmers plant their crops.

Remove Sources of Food

If chickens still keep on going to your yard, you have to understand that they may have something they want in it. This time, it would help to find sources of food that they could be attracted to. Remove it and observe if they come back.

What Smells Do Chickens Hate and Avoid?

While physical things can help scare or intimidate the chickens, there are also other ways to keep chickens away from your yard. Like humans and other creatures, chickens also have scents that they hate. You can use this information to your advantage. So, what are some smells that chickens hate?

• Paprika
• Black pepper
• Citrus Peels
• Curry powder
• Garlic
• Cayenne pepper
• Cinnamon
• Salt

Chickens dislike pungent smells and strong spices. This makes them a good and safe repellent for the flock that keeps on bothering your yard.

In repelling chickens from your yard, it’s also important to note and make sure you are not killing the chickens. Research, read, and make sure your repellants may be natural or processes are not harming the chickens in any way—the goal of repelling is simply to keep them away rather than killing them.

Toxic Repellants to Avoid

Mothballs are not made to keep chickens away! These balls can be dangerous to chickens, so avoid using them. Mothballs are toxic for both humans and animals. When chickens consume mothballs, it can be fatal to them.

The death rate of chickens who have consumed mothballs is up to 30%. This is not the only damage mothballs cause. The poison is passed on to the eggs and the chicken’s integral parts, especially the muscles.

Cedarwood is also not healthy for chickens. These cedar shavings can cause harm to the chickens’ respiratory system. These respiratory issues can grow and become fatal as it remains untreated. Despite the need to shoo chickens away, it’s still better to avoid killing them.

Pesticides, herbicides, and rodenticides are also not suitable for chickens. These elements can cause toxicosis in chickens when ingested. Since these things are sprayed on plants, insects, and other pests, the possibility of contact becomes bigger. Once chickens eat plants or insects that have been sprayed with these, they can get sick, and in the worst-case scenario, they can die.

Again, while it’s important to keep chickens away from your yard, it’s also essential to make sure that you don’t kill them. Whether it may be the neighbor’s chickens or your own, make sure to keep the things that ward them away healthy and safe both for humans and animals.

Plants as Repellants

A more natural approach to keeping chickens away from your yard is to use plants. Some plants can act as fences, and some just do not go along with chickens.

Trees

Believe it or not but trees are an excellent deterrent to chickens. Trees, in a way, distract chickens. Chickens can just end up chewing up leaves and burrowing along with the trees’ roots. Groups of chickens often visit trees and just hang out burrowing and fertilizing along with the trees’ roots.

Herbs

Some herbs are naturally unfavored by chickens. Most of these plants are plants people like, but chickens hate. In a way, it’s a win-win situation for both parties. Examples of these plants are peppermint and rosemary.

Not only is it practical and pleasing to humans, they now have gained an extra purpose around your yard. There are also more colorful options available if you like bright things. Calendula is an excellent plant to start with. It is pretty and can even be mixed with your tea.

Adopting Pets To Ward Off Chickens

Adopting a dog is also an excellent way to ward off chickens. They are not just good companions, but they are also great helpers when shoo-ing some annoying chickens away without harming them, of course.

Chickens are just naturally scared, terrified even of dogs like Labrador retrievers, hounds, and terriers. So, if you think about considering this method, you can adopt any of the breeds mentioned above. This way, you have both an effortless helper around your yard and a best friend to spend time with.

These buddies will bark at intruders. This way, you will know whenever chickens attempt to go into your yard. Their bark will probably intimidate the chickens, and so they will be encouraged to back away. Chickens tend to panic at the sound of a dog barking.

More Ways to Keep Chickens Away From Your Yard

If you have an extra budget and would be willing to pay for devices and the more advanced way of warding chicken, you can buy sprinklers. Nowadays, the market offers a lot of variations for sprinklers.

Now, there are even motion sensor sprinklers available in the market. Installing motion sensor sprinklers will help shoo the chickens away safely as it will only shower them with water once their movements are detected.

Make a decoy point wherein they can get distracted. This is useful in exceptional cases where chickens are stubborn and will not budge after all your efforts. You can establish several decoy gardens outside the yard and place some edible snacks for chickens around it. This way, they will remember the place and go there for a peck instead of trying to storm in your yard.

Covering the ground with bricks and stones is also one way of keeping chickens out. As chickens like to dig on specks of dust and peck the ground for fun and to find some snacks, depriving them of these things will lessen their interest in your yard.

By covering the exposed ground with bricks and stones, you are not only discouraging the chickens, but you are also reducing the dust around your yard.

Growing weeds is also beneficial to discourage them. As the bare ground looks more attractive, leaving some shorter weeds up around your yard will make it look less interesting for chickens. Having all the weeds pulled out will only expose more bugs making it a very attractive target for pecking.

Summary

There are many ways to keep chickens away from your yard. However, it can be challenging to find the right one as well as the most effective one. In this case, the answer to the question “How to keep chickens out of my yard?” requires a little bit of exploring as well as trial and error.