Jump to content
amandajane

Chickens Free ranging... ned advice

Recommended Posts

Can anyone tell me what they do regarding letting their hens out free ranging around the garden. If i want to let my hens out, i cant get them back into the eglu run if i need to go to work or go out. I dont want to leave them alone in the garden. I would prefer to be in the garden or the house. If im at work sometimes i dont get back until after it is dark, i dont want mr fox to get them! I dont want to be chasing them around the garden too much, scaring them, as im trying to get them used to me and tame them. :?:

Hope this makes sense????

Amanda

Link to comment
Share on other sites

treats is the answer

feed them treats in the same bowl every day, i have a yellow bowl and they come running as soon as they see it, infact they come running as soon as they here the kitchen door open, but if i want to put them in their run i just bribe them with some sweetcorn which is their favourite

hope this helps

sarah

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, I let mine out only if I'm in the garden, or able to watch from the kitchen (I even bought a high stool so I can use the laptop in the kitchen & watch them :oops: ).

 

Getting them back into the run gets so much easier when they are laying. In the meantime, get a treat you know they love (dried mealworms for mine), put some in a distinctive jar and shake it while calling "chook chook chook" or whatever. They will soon learn and come running. Then you can sprinkle some in the run and shut the door on their fluffy bums :lol: .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How you let them out will depend on your situation with foxes. Luckily we never get foxes in the day so as long as we are home the girls are out in the garden in an area that's fenced off with Omlet netting. When someone is in the garden we allow them the whole garden but have to watch them because there is a gate on the drive they can get under.

 

If you need to get them back into the run a handfull of corn does the trick if you're not confident handling them. When its dark they go back into the Eglu on their own.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The dish thing works a treat - I use a silver one ( not real, though only the best for those laydees) as they like shiny things, and call the same thing when I go out - they are like Pavlov's dogs after a while. Also if you chuck some grain or birdseed into the run once they have spotted you they should head straight in... and after a while the minute they hear you or the door they will come running at you! Greedy devils! :o

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chickens are amazingly quick learners,they will soon learn that you represent nice treats and will take to following you around or running up every time you go near the run especially when you get the grub out to fill up etc. Ours run across the garden at a mear shake of the mealworm tub.Also once they are either near to laying or have started, they crouch down when you approach,making it much easier to pick them up. Chasing them just gets you puffed!! Also it's best to start by letting them out in the hour before dark cos they will naturally want to go into roost. Have fun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

oh, those early days were so embarrassinng as a struggled to get mine to go back in, chasing them, thinking I'd got them and then they squeezed through a gabuilt for a gerbil!

 

At first I used the door pin as a shpeherd's crook which got them going in the right direction. Then we found raisins and life became so much easier. We just stood by the door to the run and they came jogging along, then went in.

 

Once they're laying, they'll squat for you if you put your hand flat about 4" above them. Maybe be pure luck, but our Gingernut was much more trusting, while the Pepperpot enjoyed the game a little more, so we used to get her in first, otherwise she twigged what was going on!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

we got ours trained to a bell while still in the run so we ring it, drop corn or other treats they like (there's many to choose from!) through the bars and after about 3 days we started letting them out and it didn't take long for them to learn that once they hear the bell they'll get a treat so I ring it at the back door, they sprint over, then they run to their run in excitement trying to trip me up and when I chuck the treat in they can't get in quick enough!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, so is there a list of suggested treats .. .

I like the bell idea, i bought an antique one years ago & hung it on wall at bottom of stairs, it has a really loud dong sound, as apposed to a gentle nice ding .. its a dinner dong . . used when i get fed up saying 'dinners ready' & on table for the third forth time `;D they hate the noise so much all, infact anyone in house comes running when they hear it, think its called aversion therapy - association :) or just blind panic :D

 

I know broccoli, pasta, sweetcorn ( corn we would eat?)

do remember i havent chickens yet!!!

 

Ms Tilylearning

 

 

PPPPPP(cube green) (due date 6th March)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

sweetcorn (rinsed to get salt/sugar off)

raisins

grapes

cherry tomatoes

mealworms

chopped-up banana

mashed potato

potato peelings (cooked)

pasta

broccoli, cabbage, lettuce ... anything green

 

Can I hasten to add that I don't buy any of these specially apart from the mealworms - I use up things that are going squishy in the bottom of the fridge, or buy 20p lettuces reduced at Waitrose. Mashed potato/peelings are very popular, but cherry tomatoes send them into a frenzy!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I let Flo and Aggy out before I go to work at about 8:00 - they then free range all around the garden all day and then I put them in at about 4:30 - they're easy to get in with a bit of suet, bread or biscuit. In the Summer I leave them out until about 7:00 - there's a slight fox risk but I'm sure they'd rather take that risk and be free all day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And breathe . .inbetween work .. er is that skiving ?

anyway . .Corn on the cob - bar b qued or just boiled :)

Hmmmmm Goosey Lucy - really too many details :D;) but if you must snort tea . .or coffee ... one must admit it is much safer than anything else in this generation ..so go gal chuckle & snort away .

Ahem - ladies ladies, humour .humourous . . but but for some its an insane reality, never - not even ever intending to be funny!!!!

Eglutine . .now now I am perfectly normal in all realms of being . .just some don't understand :D ..plus i am curious but whose frogs in who's box ? ..and when????

actually does that mean you've sat & watched a box of frogs, then considered - concluded a worthy opinion of them & their behaviour . . hmmmm

still takes all kinds of madness to be in sanity :D Welcome !! teee heeeeee

 

Ms Tilyhavingmochacoffeethinkingaboutfrogsinboxesandwhoputthemin

 

PPPPPP(cube green) (due date 6th March)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...