Solitary chicken - need advice

[Rachel F]

Having spent £400 on an eglu and three chickens, then bought a converter to give the little darlings extra space... then bought 25m of omlet netting to give them even more space...

Nellie (a ) keeps escaping from the omlet netting - I havent yet seen her do it. Today she escaped and ate 90% of my vegetable plot - salad leaves, peas, garlic (!) etc etc etc.

I was furious!

And put her back in the run and shut the door.

Then my 5-year old asked 'does time out work for chickens? How will she know when her time is up?' Fair enough question...

So Omlettiers? Does time out work for chickens??

 

Thank you.

 

Rachel.

[TAJ]

keeping her in the run might annoy her - whether she will learn from it is another story I guess. Has she got her wing clipped? Is the Eglu too close to the netting - mine all jump up on the Eglu/run - if it is too close to the netting one has been known to take a flyinh leap - now I make sure the netting is a good few feet from the eglu and they all stay in.

 

Do they have things to do in their netted area? If mine have an empty flower bed to scratch in and dust bath in they do not see any value in trying to get out - hentertainment seems to be key.

 

Tracy

[Hen Watch]

Tracy beat me to it. I was going to say the same.

 

If one wing isn't clipped you might want to consider it. There is an Omlet guide on how to do it and take it from me it is really easy (as long as you read up on it.).

 

And yes, eglus (or compost bins etc) too close to netting are great launch pads.

[Snowy]

Unfortunately some chooks are just determined to get over any netting - they see it as a personal challenge My Bella is a madam, I even clipped her wing yesterday but she still leapt into my veg patch from a standstill. Now the netting is so high even I I can't get in

[Egluntyne]

She won't connect her "time out" with her "crime" so I'm afraid you will have to figure a different way of fencing the veg patch off.

[Abbey Road Girl]

I don't have anything as enticing as a veg plot in my back garden, but do have lots of lovely tall weeds.

 

I have two blue & white treat bowls (good to have two that are distinctive and look alike) which I use to remind them that treats come from me in those bowls (must admit that a veg plot would be more tempting).

 

Nonetheless, anything you can do to train them away from your veggies and into going mad for a treat bowl would be a good thing. It surprises me that my girls are so willing to give up their free ranging in order to return to the run and squabble over the contents of the bowl.

 

Good luck (sorry about the loss of your veggies)...

[Cooks]

sorry I know I shouldn't but I did laugh at Nellies little munching escapade!.. cheeky chook!

[Olly]

Is she getting under the netting, rather than over it? unless it is pegged down, or stretched really tightly, mine used to find a way under the edge of it.

 

I agree, don't think 'time out' works for chickens! you could have a 'naughty perch' in the roosting box?

[Rachel F]

One of her wings is clipped... They do have a lot of stuff to do within the omlet fencing - dust bath in old farmhouse sink, an old bit of compost heap that they seem to love scratching around in, wood, aubiose in the run etc etc etc. My husband has insisted that they don't get a flat screen TV before he does!!

There is nothing that she can launch herself off from but I do think she either did an impressive jump from a standing start, or got underneath... The latter is less likely because it is all pinned down pretty well.

But I just think she is determined to get out... My husband thinks she was probably in Colditz in a previous life.

But thanks for your thoughts.

Rachel F.

[Stevie]

Does time out work for chickens??

 

 

 

 

No.They'll just laugh at you and then totally devour your veggie plot in revenge!