cazza Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Hello, we've had our 3 chooks (Rosie, Florence and Annie) for 5 weeks now and as I'm at home all day they free range in our very tiny urban garden, pretty much all of the time. Every morning when I open the eglu door they rush out and eat a bit of their pellets, but then if I don't open the run door they just frantically pace up and down until I do. Then when they're free ranging in the garden they peck at everything and don't seem to go back into the eglu run for their food? I just took out a tin of sweetcorn as a treat for them and they ate the whole tin in about 5 seconds! It was like they hadn't seen food for a week! I do give them s"Ooops, word censored!"s a few times a week which they also demolish in seconds. Am I giving them too much 's"Ooops, word censored!"s' food or am I suppsed to be giving them more? They're all laying lovely eggs so they must be happy?! Also, we've just bought some netting as we're going to fence off a bit at the back of the garden for the chooks. Like others, the amount of poo is getting to us - you can't even walk to the eglu without getting your shoes covered in poo! But I'm worried that now they've had the whole garden that this isn't going to be enough space for them? I know lots of people keep their chooks in the eglu run throughout the day and only let them out for a few hours in the evening but ours go mad if they're cooped up all day - could we have claustrophobic chooks!? Advice needed!! Thanks, Caroline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chooks Aloud Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Chickens aren't daft, they know something else will be given to them i.e. treats. If they are free ranging they are picking things up from the garden as well (getting rid of your slugs and snails etc. Only give treats late in the afternoon so that they have their pellets, which they need (it's got all the nutrients in). If they know lots of treats are coming their way, they will hang back on the pellets - just like kids really! Yes, they do poo a lot, just s"Ooops, word censored!" it up and compost it - part of having the lovely chooks. Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajm200 Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Chooks Aloud is right - chickens aren't daft. They are like naughty children, quickly learning to manipulate you to get their own way and would rather eat junk than healthy food. If you can ignore the pacing, leave them in their run and peep out at them from a window where they can't see you, they'll be acting like happy chickens. I bet they only pace when they know that you are watching and likely to feel guilty. If you can keep them in the run for a few hours in the morning, they'll get a chance to fill up on pellets before getting any treats or foraging. If they aren't laying yet, they won't eat much but they definately won't starve themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trixabell Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 I've learnt to shut my kitchen patio door curtains so they can't see me, the minute i do that they scratch around happily but the minute they see me the pacing begins and i have to do a lot to ignore it because i know they are in a much better place now than they used to be!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faye&Ant Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 I second that, they are not daft and if they know they have got treats coming, they are going to prefer them for sure. Dont worry though, if they are hungry they will eat the pellets. If you feel there crop before they go to bed, its normally huge filled with food for the night. Mine tend to throw diva tantrums if they are not free ranging, I wouldnt mind but normally its because Ive had to pop out to get them something! Try and leave them some greens to peck at whilst in the run x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cazza Posted April 18, 2008 Author Share Posted April 18, 2008 I didn't realise chickens were so devious! Unfortunately we've got a conservatory (where we spend most of our time) so they can see us all the time. They all huddle round the back of some bushes in the flower bed right next to the window and peer through it! My mum thinks they're watching TV with us! I'm just feeling a bit guilty as they look so happy pecking around the garden (even though it is a complete mess now with all our plants dug up, gravel scuffed across the patio, and a big hole in the lawn where they now sit all huddled up together!) It seems as though they're pretty normal chooks then and they are giving us very tasty eggs so I'll just have to get on with it and not feel guilty! Thanks for the advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraJ Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 They are funny if i watch mine out the bedroom window they are happily pottering about their run and then if i go downstairs and they see me or i open the back door they start bok bokking and pacing so they def are clever lol I never let mine out till after 12 so they get plenty of layers mash. They have got used to it. Hubby lets them out at 7ish and then i dont usually get out there till 12 ish anyway (no eggs yet to collect) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Amen to all the above. Mine do the guilt trip thing if the see me, and start pacing. They settle down if I go out of view. It might be better to withhold treats and free ranging till afternoon. I don't think that the gobbling up of treats is a sign that they are starving, just that they are greedy about goodies. Tell them that if they don't eat their main meal they will get no pudding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Absolutely! Mine are gannets when it comes to leftover pasta or potatoes and wolf them down like they're going out of fashion. They're not daft in the slightest and will hold you to ransom if you're not careful. I went through months of having to stoop to pass the kitchen window or they'd hop up onto the plant shelf and tap on the window and call out for grapes if they saw me!! I stopped that by not giving them any for 2 weeks and they forgot to beg! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 i think you answered your own question, where do you think all the poo comes from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Mine have learnt that when i let them out of the Eglu in the morning-they dont get the chance to freerange so they're eating pellets,scratching,pecking etc in the run. However,when i come home from work-they're like excited children almost bouncing in the run waiting to be let out.They've learnt that their freerange time is late afternoon and all that from a tiny brain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Agree with all the above. I leave my lot in the run from 7am till mid morning so that they have their pellets and nothing else. they then free range till 7pm with no treats until they are put back in the run at 7pm. The only time they may have the occasional treat through the day is if we are eating outside and they pinch one of your sandwiches (which misty did on Wednesday - she pecked it right out my hand ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koo2cat Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Sad to say this but mine pace if they see me or not! I have four in a cube with 2m ext. and I constantly worry they don't have enough space (they feather peck each other if they get bored). They free range quite alot so maybe that is why they pace up and down when they are confined to the run but they definately do pace even when I am not looking (I have spying areas where they cannot see me for sure!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamebird Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 I'm convinced chickens can tell the time. Mine don't get a free range until late afternoon early evening and until that time they are happy to scratch about in their run even though they see me coming and going. However, when it gets to about 5 o'clock they start gathering at the exit muttering and twittering in anticipation. As a new chicken owner I am astounded at what appears to be their 'intelligence'. They learn very quickly. I reckon they've bought a book entitled 'How to Train Humans' and are reading it when I'm not looking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hennymom Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 mine are the same ..they have prooidge for breakfast oats mixed with grower's pellets soaked in warm water and they don;t move till the dish is spotless...(i'm sure they have a dishwahser hidden somewhere)...then nothing all day while I'm at work till 3pm, then they get spinach thrown in or a huge head of brocolli which they scavenge like Piranha fish... then at five they get a full trough of pellets... we have cctv with sound in the lounge and we can hear them peck, peck,peck, at the trough...we remove it at bedtime and it all starts again the next day... they have the odd grape too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amandalou Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 Hi, after reading this post i feel so much better as it seems we are all experiencing the same chicken habits. I have had mine for just over 2 weeks now and boy aren't they quick learners, as soon as they see me coming they start jumping and squarking very loudly and i have great difficulty opening the pen before they get out into the garden. They absolutely love all s"Ooops, word censored!"s and like cazza's they seem to devour the whole lot in no time at all. I feel much more reassured now i know that others have funky chickens too ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
